Survey Of Ocean Life By D.S.I.R.

Press, Volume C, Issue 29540, 15 June 1961, Page 13

Survey Of Ocean Life By D.S.I.R.

(New Zealand Press Association)

The first scientific survey of the animal life around New Zealand's shores is now being carried out by the Oceanographic Institute of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. In addition, scientists of the institute are studying the geology of the sea bed and mapping its surface configuration. So far the survey has taken in the whole of the West Coast of New Zealand from Kaipara Harbour south, Foveaux Strait, Cook Strait and Hawke's Bay. The director, Dr. J. W. Brodie, explained that when completed it might provide the answer to a number of distribution prob, lems. This was because of the extent of latitude between Three Kings in the north and The Snares in the south. In addition the coast crossed the boundary between two radically different kinds of water. To the north of Banks Peninsula was the sub-tropical region and to the south was the subantarctic area, he said.

In. recent months the institute has mapped the rise between the Ohatiham Islands and the South Island with more precision than ever be. fore, and has assisted with an oyster survey in Foveaux Strait being carried out by the Marine Department. The work is undertaken from the Viti. a ship which the institute charters for two. two-monthly periods each year. To the ordinary fisherman the scientists’ “catch” would seem excitingly exotic and their tackle incomprehensible. Stowed away on the decks of the ship are fascinating bits of equipment like the small-pipe dredge, the orange, peel grab, and the rock dredge. The first is quite simple—just a pipe with one closed end. that digs its open end fnto the ocean bed and recovers 12 inches of compact sediment. Its interest lies in the fact that each 12in sample collected near the coast represents about 1000 years of geological time. While this is not long enough io study evolutionary changes' in the microscopic creatures preserved in the sediment it does show distribution and temperature changes occurring during the period. The orange peel grab opens like the peeled-back sections of an incised orange to take in great mouthfuls of muddy slush from the bottom. It seldom fails to bring up a wide assortment of sea creatures in- its gaping jaws. The rock dredge is a small wire netting cage which drags along the bottom and specialises in collecting rock and shell samples. In the institute’s . laboratories the collection of bottled species is growing steadily as the survey progresses. The “catch” can be colourful and may include bright yellow feather stars and vivid red star fish. The long arms of the brittle star and the scraggy tail of the deepwater. rat-tailed fish also occur periodically.