70 
plateau of 2—400 Meters depth, which occupies the area between 
Little Kei and the Tajando group, and the Strait between Great 
and Little Kei — this peculiar condition being evidently due, as 
pointed out by Prof. Max Weberto the currents running 
here over the edge between the Banda and Arafura Sea, on which 
the Tajando and the Kei Islands are situated. This occurrence of 
the abyssal fauna in so relatively shallow water represents a unique 
divantage to the study of the biology of the deep sea animals. It 
is evident that the deep sea animals do not suffer so much on 
being brought up from such small depths, as when coming up from 
the much larger depths, ca. 1000—2000 Meters or more, in which they 
usually live. It would appear that (due exception being made espec- 
ially to the Aphysostomous fishes) they are not very sensitive to the 
difference in pressure, the difference in temperature being much 
more serious to them. But here, in the said depths, the bottom 
temperature is (according to the researches of the “Siboga ) rel¬ 
atively high 10—15^’ C., and accordingly they suffer much less 
than when coming from a considerably lower bottom temperature 
to the high temperature of the surface waters. In faet, I found 
that several of the deep sea animals would stand even the surface 
temperature for quite a while. Of course, at a laboratory for deep 
sea studies there must be facilities for having a constant supply 
of water cooled down to the bottom temperature, on board the ship 
as well as in the laboratory itself, in order that the animals may 
at once be transferred to water holding their accustomed tempera¬ 
ture. But the difficulties in keeping water cooled down to a tem¬ 
perature of 15® or somewhat less are quite considerably smaller 
than when a lower temperature has to be kept. 
From the place, which I would think the most suitable for the 
laboratory here, viz. the Island of Doe Roa (or, rather, the small 
island situated close to its south coast (see PI. I), there is only a 
distance of some 6—8 miles to places where the abyssal fauna 
may be found, both to the East and the West of the islands. This 
means that, with a suitable vessel, there will be only ca. one hour s 
sailing from the laboratory to the dredging ground. Dredging in 
such relatively shallow water as ca. 300 Meter, need not take a 
i)Max Weber. “Siboga” Expeditie. 1. Introduction et Description de 
l’Expedition. p. 118. 
