Ocean Survey Off Otago And Canterbury Coasts

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27750, 30 August 1955, Page 16

Ocean Survey Off Otago And Canterbury Coasts

Having accomplished most of her mission for the Oceanographic Institute of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, the sea scout training vessel, Alert, arrived at .Lyttelton yesterday afternoon on her way back to Dunedin.

Leaving Dunedin on August 19, the Alert conducted a survey on a line 50 miles off Tafroa Peninsula, Timaru ; Banis Peninsula and Kaikoura Peninsula. Surface temperatures of the sea were recorded on a bathythermagraph. Every five miles samples of sea water were taken for salinity tests and drift cards were released to record ocean currents. Mr A. J. Black. Dominion -Commissioner for Sea Scouts, who is in command of the Alert, said it was an opportunity for the sea scouts to assist in a scheme which was being carffed out this year, mostly by ships of the Royal New Zealand Navy. Calling at Akaroa, the Alert was joined by Messrs R. K. Dell and J. Moreland, two marine experts of the Dominion Museum, and the vessel sailed to the Mernoo Bank, about 100 miles north-east of Banks Peninsula. It wag intended to dredge and trawl the bank for specimens, but stormy weather prevented this. The weather was unfavourable most of the time the Alert was at sea.

♦’vo days’ research in the really deep water off the coast between Otago and the Chatham Islands, Messrs Dell and Moreland discovered 10 new species or shellfish, and four new types of fish. In one trawl off Otago, they hauled in licwt of whalefeed shrimps. Messrs Dell and Moreland have about a month’s work ahead sorting, labelling. and classifying the smaller creatures they took back to Wellington.

The scientists fished the 1800 ft depths between Otago and the Chatham Islands where river-like bottom formations led from the coastal shelf to deep water. In these rivers, or passes, they obtained samples of deep water creatures moving up, and shallow water dwellers going down.

Leaving Nelson at midday on Sunday, the Alert had a fine-weather tris to Picton, where she remained for two .hours, and then down the coast as far as Kaikoura. after which the weather deteriorated.

Mr Black had with him as assistants Messrs M. B. Evans, of Dunedin, and G. Smith, of Napier. The following, sea scouts made the trip: Ronald Ingles (Anderson’s Bay). Garry Black-(Saw-yers Bay). Ronald Petrie (Oamaru). Terence Tank (Timaru), John May (Lyttelton). lan Eeaumont and Ricky Gillespie (Akaroa), and William Cannington (Nelson). At Picton the Alert was joined by Sea Scout Alan Pirano, aged 17. one of the third generation of the well-known whaling family. From Picton also the Alert took aboard six members of the Iron Duke troop, from Nelson, who made the Jrip back to their home port. Mr Noel Jones, district commissioner for sea scouts at Nelson, and his son, Sea Scout Bryan Jones, made the trip from Nelson to Lyttelton.

| Mascot of the Alert’s company is 1 John Black, aged 6£, Mr flack’s youngr est son. He is a hardened seaman—s “indestructible,” his father described r him. During-the early days of the •itrip, many of the sea- scouts suffered from sea sickness, but Johnny .was not ■ worried and his habit of wandering into the scouts’ quarters and there • I enjoying his meals, did not help the 'scouts to a quick recovery.