24
R. I ( . DELL
history of the Discovery Investigations and supplies a most useful
contents list to the 34 volumes of Discovery Reports (some 13 000 pages
of scientific reports). Previous biological efforts in the Antarctic had all
been based upon short term expeditions. The Discovery Committee
planned its work as a continuing investigation. Early work was concentrated on major whaling areas such as South Georgia but the work
was slowly extended to embrace the whole of the Antarctic ocean. The
old R.R.S. Discovery, and R.R.S. Discovery 11 and R.R.S. William
Scoresby achieved an enviable record of scientific work between 1925
and 1937. I n 1949 The Discovery Investigations were taken over by
the National Institute of Oceanography. Discovery 11 made one more
extensive Antarctic cruise in 1950-51 to give a tally of a quarter of a
century of active investigation into Antarctic marine biology. However, the collections are by no means fully described and new Discovery
Reports appear year by year. The Discovery Investigations were
initiated in order to understand the biology of the commercial whales
in the Southern Ocean. It is understandable, therefore, that physical
oceanography and the world of plankton should be the fields to attract
most attention. In fact in spite of the great extent of the Discovery
Reports, a relatively small amount has so far been published on the
benthos as such.
In the meantime several other expeditions had entered the field.
The Norwegian Antarctic Expedition (1927-28) under Haakon Mosby
on the Norvegia visited Bouvet Island, South Georgia, the South
Shetland5 and the Antarctic Peninsula, and in 1928-29 landed on Peter
I Island. Three volumes of scientific results have been published,
interesting because a number of authors considered biogeographical
problems in detail and attempted to review the state of knowledge in
their groups. Holtedahl (1935) gave a brief account of these rather
complicated expeditions, of which results were still appearing in 1961.
A small German expedition under L. Kohl-Larsen collected in
South Georgia in 1928-29.
Between 1929 and 1931, the British Australian, New Zealand
Antarctic Research Expedition (B.A.N.Z.A.R.E.) under Mawson in the
Discovery carried out a most productive biological programme which
has added appreciably to our knowledge of the benthos in Antarctic
waters between about 45°C and 130"E. This ship Discovery was a
veteran of Antarctic exploration, having been built especially for
Scott's 1901-03 expedition, and later, having initiated the work of the
Discovery Committee, became the base for the B.A.N.Z.A.R.
Expedition. This is the vessel which, moored on the River Thames in
London, now serves as a memorial to Captain Scott. Ten volumes of
R. I ( . DELL
history of the Discovery Investigations and supplies a most useful
contents list to the 34 volumes of Discovery Reports (some 13 000 pages
of scientific reports). Previous biological efforts in the Antarctic had all
been based upon short term expeditions. The Discovery Committee
planned its work as a continuing investigation. Early work was concentrated on major whaling areas such as South Georgia but the work
was slowly extended to embrace the whole of the Antarctic ocean. The
old R.R.S. Discovery, and R.R.S. Discovery 11 and R.R.S. William
Scoresby achieved an enviable record of scientific work between 1925
and 1937. I n 1949 The Discovery Investigations were taken over by
the National Institute of Oceanography. Discovery 11 made one more
extensive Antarctic cruise in 1950-51 to give a tally of a quarter of a
century of active investigation into Antarctic marine biology. However, the collections are by no means fully described and new Discovery
Reports appear year by year. The Discovery Investigations were
initiated in order to understand the biology of the commercial whales
in the Southern Ocean. It is understandable, therefore, that physical
oceanography and the world of plankton should be the fields to attract
most attention. In fact in spite of the great extent of the Discovery
Reports, a relatively small amount has so far been published on the
benthos as such.
In the meantime several other expeditions had entered the field.
The Norwegian Antarctic Expedition (1927-28) under Haakon Mosby
on the Norvegia visited Bouvet Island, South Georgia, the South
Shetland5 and the Antarctic Peninsula, and in 1928-29 landed on Peter
I Island. Three volumes of scientific results have been published,
interesting because a number of authors considered biogeographical
problems in detail and attempted to review the state of knowledge in
their groups. Holtedahl (1935) gave a brief account of these rather
complicated expeditions, of which results were still appearing in 1961.
A small German expedition under L. Kohl-Larsen collected in
South Georgia in 1928-29.
Between 1929 and 1931, the British Australian, New Zealand
Antarctic Research Expedition (B.A.N.Z.A.R.E.) under Mawson in the
Discovery carried out a most productive biological programme which
has added appreciably to our knowledge of the benthos in Antarctic
waters between about 45°C and 130"E. This ship Discovery was a
veteran of Antarctic exploration, having been built especially for
Scott's 1901-03 expedition, and later, having initiated the work of the
Discovery Committee, became the base for the B.A.N.Z.A.R.
Expedition. This is the vessel which, moored on the River Thames in
London, now serves as a memorial to Captain Scott. Ten volumes of