- - - - - - - - - - · - - · · - - - - - - - - - - ------- --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .
Foreword
One is struck by the fact that, ever since Magellan himself passed through the straits
now bearing his name, countless ships of dicovery, exploration and scientific investigation have viewed this South American thoroughfare as a point on the way rather
than a destination. Beginning with Captain James Cook, who in the 1760s firmly established the practice of carrying scientists abroad, continuing with Darwin in the
1830s, and even to the present day, ships bearing scientists through the Straits of Magellan have generally been in transit to some other more tantalizing locale. It is surprising that this body of water, representing the transition between temperate and
Antarctic, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, has received so little attention. Thus, the modern research of the plankton fauna of this region by Italian scientists is all the more remarkable for being the first to adequately recognize and to study the organisms in
such detail.
The first fruit of these labors was an authoritative tome on the Copepoda which, in
addition to its clarity of presentation, described 18 species new to the region. The
present volume, covering the chaetognaths, amphipods, ostracods, euphausiids and
mysiids, is no less of an accomplishment. Among these are several species already well
known in the Antarctic, such as Sagitta maxima, Eukrohnia hamata, Orchomene plebs,
Primno macropa and Themisto gaudichaudi. Those who have been accustomed to
traveling further south to study these species might now consider the advantages of
being able to carry out some of their research without having to run the gauntlet of the
infamous Drake Passage. On the other hand, comparative studies of these species in
both Antarctic and sub-Antarctic provinces may yield substantial insight into the processes underlying their biogeography.
Before we can begin to ask sensible questions about how a pelagic community functions, we must first know of which species it is composed. This volume, along with its
copepod companion, now sets the stage for the studies of ecosystem, community and
population dynamics that will challenge fu ture generations of marine scientists.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
La Jolla, California, USA
Mark E. Huntley
During the past two dccades, research on the biology of the Antarctic has focused
mainly on the Antarctic region itself. Thus, regional faunal studies in sub-Antarctic
waters, as carried out during the course of the Italian Expedition in the Straits of Magellan in 1991, are of great scientific interest.
The Straits, belonging to the Magellan Province, are well known for their relatively
high diversity of species; but only very few detailed faunistic surveys have been carried
out so far. Both the oceanographic properties and the biota are essentially influenced
Foreword
One is struck by the fact that, ever since Magellan himself passed through the straits
now bearing his name, countless ships of dicovery, exploration and scientific investigation have viewed this South American thoroughfare as a point on the way rather
than a destination. Beginning with Captain James Cook, who in the 1760s firmly established the practice of carrying scientists abroad, continuing with Darwin in the
1830s, and even to the present day, ships bearing scientists through the Straits of Magellan have generally been in transit to some other more tantalizing locale. It is surprising that this body of water, representing the transition between temperate and
Antarctic, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, has received so little attention. Thus, the modern research of the plankton fauna of this region by Italian scientists is all the more remarkable for being the first to adequately recognize and to study the organisms in
such detail.
The first fruit of these labors was an authoritative tome on the Copepoda which, in
addition to its clarity of presentation, described 18 species new to the region. The
present volume, covering the chaetognaths, amphipods, ostracods, euphausiids and
mysiids, is no less of an accomplishment. Among these are several species already well
known in the Antarctic, such as Sagitta maxima, Eukrohnia hamata, Orchomene plebs,
Primno macropa and Themisto gaudichaudi. Those who have been accustomed to
traveling further south to study these species might now consider the advantages of
being able to carry out some of their research without having to run the gauntlet of the
infamous Drake Passage. On the other hand, comparative studies of these species in
both Antarctic and sub-Antarctic provinces may yield substantial insight into the processes underlying their biogeography.
Before we can begin to ask sensible questions about how a pelagic community functions, we must first know of which species it is composed. This volume, along with its
copepod companion, now sets the stage for the studies of ecosystem, community and
population dynamics that will challenge fu ture generations of marine scientists.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
La Jolla, California, USA
Mark E. Huntley
During the past two dccades, research on the biology of the Antarctic has focused
mainly on the Antarctic region itself. Thus, regional faunal studies in sub-Antarctic
waters, as carried out during the course of the Italian Expedition in the Straits of Magellan in 1991, are of great scientific interest.
The Straits, belonging to the Magellan Province, are well known for their relatively
high diversity of species; but only very few detailed faunistic surveys have been carried
out so far. Both the oceanographic properties and the biota are essentially influenced