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PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XV, October 1961 
theses to account for observed distributions of 
marine algae. In this way we may hope to ex- 
plain and account for biological phenomena 
rather than be satisfied by a description of the 
phenomena or by devising terms to describe 
them which do nothing more than give names 
to dynamic aspects of marine ecology much in 
need of logical explanation. With the recent 
increased activity in oceanography in the Pacific 
we may now hope for more abundant and usable 
data on some of the more general oceanographic 
properties of the North Pacific. In specific cases, 
particularly in more restricted areas, the ecol- 
ogist will be forced to turn more attention to 
obtaining in situ physical and chemical data 
before further progress can be made. 
One can arbitrarily start by summarizing all 
the factors in the marine environment as geo- 
logical, physical, chemical, and biological. The 
way in which these are considered may be some- 
what a matter of interpretation. Salinity, for 
example, may be considered directly, from a 
chemical standpoint, or indirectly as a physical 
factor responsible for changes in density and 
thus contributing to the pattern of circulation. 
Likewise, the nature of the substratum may be 
considered indirectly as a geological factor or 
directly as a physical or mechanical factor re- 
stricting or permitting establishment of ben- 
thonic organisms because of particle size. There 
has been much written on some of these aspects 
of ecological study in special cases, but it is 
suggested that, in a general over-all reassess- 
ment of the environment, an attempt be made 
to proceed from this more general position to 
the particular. This approach may initially lead 
only to the erection of further hypotheses, since 
the indirect or direct nature of the action of 
Fig. 4. T-S diagrams for stations in Queen Charlotte Strait and adjacent areas in May, 1956. 
