52 



Thirty -ninth Annual Report 



tions already in progress, was conducted during the year mainly at 

 the Marine Laboratory, Bay of Nigg, and in the Laboratory at the 

 Old Post Office, Aberdeen, under the supervision of the Scientific 

 Superintendent. 



The expansion of the work necessitated additional assistance 

 being obtained, and, as a result of the re-organisation of the whole of 

 the Board's establishment, three junior naturalists and two technical 

 assistants were added to the scientific staff. The question of increased 

 and improved accommodation at the Laboratories at Aberdeen arose, 

 and the Board obtained sanction for a grant for the purpose of 

 effecting the necessary alterations, which have, however, for various 

 reasons been deferred. 



The Board's research vessel, the " Goldseeker," has not been 

 found to meet all requirements, particularly in respect of deep sea 

 research, and accordingly the Board made application for a larger 

 and more powerful vessel. Eventually, by means of a grant from 

 the Development Fund, an Admiralty trawler of the Lord Mersey 

 type was acquired for adaptation for scientific research purposes. 



A motor boat was also obtained for use in connection with 

 scientific investigations in inshore waters. 



Plaice Investigations. 



The most important of the resolutions adopted by the Inter- 

 national Council for the Exploration of the Sea had reference to the 

 plaice, which is generally regarded as of all British fishes the most 

 liable to depletion and therefore in need of scientific regulation. 

 These resolutions were as follow : — 



(1) That owing to the profound effects upon the stock of fish in 



the North Sea, produced by the conditions prevailing 

 during the war, it is necessary to ascertain as fully as 

 possible the present conditions now obtaining on the 

 North Sea fishing grounds. 



(2) That the evidence now available indicates that the closure 



of limited areas of the North Sea to steam trawling and 

 trawling by highly-powered motor fishing vessels would 

 be of benefit to the plaice fisheries. 



(3) That since the question of closed areas is to be further 



examined, and special investigations are to be undertaken 

 in this connection, the resolutions of the Plaice Committee 

 of 1913 as to the impositions of size limits should be 

 reconsidered also. 



Following on these resolutions the International Council approved 

 a programme of further researches for the ensuing twelve months 

 with the object of providing material which might form the basis 

 of new proposals for the protection of the plaice fisheries. The 

 Board's share of the researches, which are still in progress, was 

 carried out during 1920 mainly in the Moray Firth, and their 

 research steamer " Goldseeker " was chiefly employed on this work 

 throughout the year. The researches on the plaice include also 

 ichthyometrics (fish measuring) at sea and drift bottle experiments, 

 which are referred to hereunder. 



