ANTARUTIU BENTHOS
23
reports laid the basis for an understanding of the marine animals of the
Ross Sea. The Scottish National Antarctic Expedition under W.S.
Bruce in the Scotia carried out the first oceanographic exploration of the
Weddell Sea, and also collected benthic animals from the South
Orkneys and the Palklands. Bibliographically the reports can cause
confusion since most were published first in Scottish scientific journals,
before being republished later as expedition reports with changed
pagination.
The French Antarctic Expedition under Charcot in the B a n p i s
carried out an extensive biological programme off the western coast of
the Antarctic Peninsula, working its way to within sight of Alexander
Island.
The British Antarctic Expedition under Shackleton in the Nimrod
wintered at Cape Royds in the Ross Sea. An attempt was made to
publish a series of scientific results but government support was lacking
and publication lapsed. Papers by Hedley (1911) on molluscs, Waite
(1911) on fishes and by Koehler (1911) on echinoderms were the major
ones to appear on benthic animals. A useful list of scientific results from
this and subsequent Shackleton expeditions was published by J. M.
W(ordie) and B. B. R(oberts) (1943).
The Second French Antarctic Expedition again under Charcot was
carried out in what was surely the most suitably named vessel for any
expedition, the Pourquoi Pas? The biological programme was again
concentrated along the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula and
through the Bellingshausen Sea to within sight of Peter I Island.
The British Antarctic Expedition (1910-13) under Scott in the
Terra Nova was to end in heroic tragedy. Biologically it proved very
productive and the series of reports added significantly to knowledge of
the benthos of the Ross Sea. The Australasian Antarctic Expedition
(191 1-14) under Mawson in the Aurora was to be the last in this spate of
Antarctic endeavour. The biological results have been amongst the
most fruitful of any of the early expeditions although some were not
published until much later.
The onset of World War I and its depressing aftermath drew a
blackout curtain across the Antarctic, at least in respect of the major
expeditions required to obtain marine biological results. When the
curtain lifted it was to usher on to the Antarctic scene a completely
new era of biological investigation.
From 1925 until at least 1939 biological work in the Antarctic was
dominated by the activities of the Discovery Investigations. Hardy
(1967) in his book Great Waters, possibly the best semi-popular account
of a large scale expedition and the work of marine biologists, traces the
23
reports laid the basis for an understanding of the marine animals of the
Ross Sea. The Scottish National Antarctic Expedition under W.S.
Bruce in the Scotia carried out the first oceanographic exploration of the
Weddell Sea, and also collected benthic animals from the South
Orkneys and the Palklands. Bibliographically the reports can cause
confusion since most were published first in Scottish scientific journals,
before being republished later as expedition reports with changed
pagination.
The French Antarctic Expedition under Charcot in the B a n p i s
carried out an extensive biological programme off the western coast of
the Antarctic Peninsula, working its way to within sight of Alexander
Island.
The British Antarctic Expedition under Shackleton in the Nimrod
wintered at Cape Royds in the Ross Sea. An attempt was made to
publish a series of scientific results but government support was lacking
and publication lapsed. Papers by Hedley (1911) on molluscs, Waite
(1911) on fishes and by Koehler (1911) on echinoderms were the major
ones to appear on benthic animals. A useful list of scientific results from
this and subsequent Shackleton expeditions was published by J. M.
W(ordie) and B. B. R(oberts) (1943).
The Second French Antarctic Expedition again under Charcot was
carried out in what was surely the most suitably named vessel for any
expedition, the Pourquoi Pas? The biological programme was again
concentrated along the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula and
through the Bellingshausen Sea to within sight of Peter I Island.
The British Antarctic Expedition (1910-13) under Scott in the
Terra Nova was to end in heroic tragedy. Biologically it proved very
productive and the series of reports added significantly to knowledge of
the benthos of the Ross Sea. The Australasian Antarctic Expedition
(191 1-14) under Mawson in the Aurora was to be the last in this spate of
Antarctic endeavour. The biological results have been amongst the
most fruitful of any of the early expeditions although some were not
published until much later.
The onset of World War I and its depressing aftermath drew a
blackout curtain across the Antarctic, at least in respect of the major
expeditions required to obtain marine biological results. When the
curtain lifted it was to usher on to the Antarctic scene a completely
new era of biological investigation.
From 1925 until at least 1939 biological work in the Antarctic was
dominated by the activities of the Discovery Investigations. Hardy
(1967) in his book Great Waters, possibly the best semi-popular account
of a large scale expedition and the work of marine biologists, traces the