STUDY OF ALGAE

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21414, 5 March 1935, Page 12

STUDY OF ALGAE

+ SEAWEEDS OF THE PACIFIC AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION A parly of American scientists and students \v!:o are now visiting Christchureh are returning to the United after spending several months in Australia and New Zealand in an intensive study of marine and freshwater algae. Some weeks of their study of the weeds of the Pacific ocean were devoted to Stewart Island. These scientists have discovered many very interesting and apparently important things about the seaweeds of New Zealand and Australia, and expect significant results from their work once it is collated and investigated properly in America.

The leader of this scientific expedition is Professor Josephine E. Tilden, professor of botany at the University of Minnesota, and a noted authority on the algae of the Pacific. She told a reporter from "The Press" that she had been a number of times in New Zealand, but the other members of her party were making their first visit here. Professor Tilden has made a close study of the algae of the Pacific Ocean, and her work is probably adding an important chapter to a significant page in the history of plant life in the world. She explained that it was from the point of view of evolution that the general study of algae was of some value. It was from the algae, the plant life of the ocean that animal and the higher plant life was probably derived through evolution. The study of the algae of the Pacific was about as big a problem as any one investigator could tackle. Professor Tilden said. Effect of Currents According to Professor Tilden, the algae of the Pacific provided a peculiarly interesting study, particularly when the algae found in a country like Japan were compared with those of New Zealand or Australia. In the north of Japan, where the shores were touched by the cold water coining down from the Arctic ocean through the Behring Strait, the seaweeds were like those of the Arctic, she said. Yet the southern shores of Japan, washed by a warm current, provided quite tropical algae. A warm current coming from the same source as the current which warmed the southern shores of Japan washed some of the shores of Australia and New Zealand, and gave these countries along their northern shores tropical marine algae. Yet the south coasts of Australia. Tasmania, ;i"H New Zealand, open to the cold waters coming from the Antarctic were inhabited by algae Antarctic in character. So that for Professor Tilden both Japan and New Zealand offered singular scope for investigation.

It was found that Foveaux Strait m New Zealand, the shores about Russell in the north and the Bay of Islands, and of Stewart Island offered opportunity for a study of the tropical and Antarctic types of algae, while a visit to the hot springs at Rotorua and Whakarewarewa allowed a week to be spent in a most interesting study of hot springs algae The party had planned to visit Banks Peninsula and one of the Wellington bays, but had not time. We expect to achieve wonderful results from our investigations once we have been able to sort out our specimens and collate the knowledge gained," Professor Tilden said. The scientific study of the algae of the Pacific had probably never been undertaken by such a big body of students. Unique Groups One of the most interesting observations made by Professor Tilden has been that in both Japan and the Australian and New Zealand sector is one of the groups of the arge kelps which had its origin in t.m -, area in which jt cxi «ts now. While some of the species of kelp are common to both areas, yet this distinct group is found only in its own original area. The entire group of this species in Australia and New Zealand was absolutely different Horn the Japanese group. But there is one cosmopolitan kelp which should interest New Zealanders particularly. It is common on most of the shores of the Dominion. Its scientific name is macrocvstis and Dr. Tilden said that it was from this kelp that several firms in the United States were preparing a seaweed food which was rapidly becoming an accepted article of diet and which, she said, had been proved to have rather surprising food values. b

It was from kelp that iodine could be extracted as a natural food Professor Tilden said, and since the kelp (macrocystis) contained vitamins and other nutritive qualities it was being used freely as a food supplement in. the united States. People m the States were taking this kelp food rather than iodised salt where iodine was required for such c.Vabihties as goitre. It had been found that the iodine in iodised salt was taken as a chemical dose, and as such ought to be properly regulated to suit differing circumstances. But eating kelp food was the proper natural way to assimilate iodine into the system. It had been claimed in the States that this kelp food not only assisted in the cure of goitre, but even relieved asthma. School Experiment Professor Tilden said that this kelp food had been tried out under proper test conditions in Californian schools. It had been founu to relieve bad colds among the children and increase their alertness. The tests had been made on a large scale over a long period. The food had also been used for livestock. Professor Tilden's party includes the following: Mrs Lawrence M. Jones, Mr and Mrs Arthur Nash, Mr and Mrs Irl B. Warnock, Mr Lawrence A. Doore, Mr T. T. Earle and Mr Paul T. Philson (all of the University of Minnesota) and Mr Lawrence M. Jones from the University of Colorado. Al lthe members of the party yesterday met Mr R. M. Laing, of Christchurch, who Is a world authority on algae, and also visited Canterbury College, where they were the guests of the staff. They will leave for the north this evening.