In the report on DEEP FREEZE I, DSL observations of the French 

 Antarctic Expedition of 1948-1949 were discussed. During the French 

 expedition of 1949-1950 the COMMANDANT CHARCOT passed through the ice 

 pack into open water to the south, where the DSL was recorded as far 

 south as 66°S, Shoal water prevented further observations. 



As usual, ice interfered with the operation of the echo-soimder 

 when the GLACIER was steaming through the pack. The DSL was never 

 recorded and was only rarely and weakly heard while the ship was in 

 the pack, although special checks were made in open leads. 



Once again the complete absence or poor development of the layer 

 was noted during the ship's passage through the central South Pacific 

 Ocean. This absence was especially lengthy, extending on the GLACIER* s 

 track from about 41°S, 171°V; to about 20°S, 107°W. 



F, Biological Collections 



Cursory field examination of the collected material indicates an 

 abiindant plankton complex. The benthonic population on the shelf areas 

 was extremely rich in invertebrates and fish, both in amount and variety 

 of forms. These include asteroids, ophiuroids, holothurians, echinoids, 

 crinoids, bryozoa, hydroids, alcyonaria, keratose and silicious porifera, 

 isopods, amphipods, decapods, annelids, brachiopods, mollusca and many 

 other groups. Fish were usually taken by means of the Blake trawl. 



Whale and other marine animal observations were recorded where 

 possible and these data are on file in the Hydrographic Office. Killer 

 whales were observed in the southernmost extremity of t he V/eddell Sea 

 among other locations. About thirty whales (probably finback and sei) 

 were observed in Kainan Bay on 7 January 1957. Seals were encountered 

 in all areas, and penguins were observed in all previously reported 

 locations. An Emperor penguin rookery, observed in Gould Bay in the 

 Filchner Ice Shelf, is believed to have been previously imreported. 



63 



