Scientists Want Report On Marine Studies

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30979, 8 February 1966, Page 24

Scientists Want Report On Marine Studies

The annual conference of the New Zealand Marine Sciences Society decided at Kaikoura on Sunday to set up a working party to report on the standards of recording information in marine studies. The society hopes in this way to advance its work by co-ordinating the activities of scientists working at laboratories from Auckland to Dunedin. The society also decided to investigate the possibility <rf establishing a marine sciences journal for the dissemination of ideas and information. The annual conference was attended by 36 marine scientists who work in fields ranging from oceanography to marine zoology. Members agreed that to advance their fields of study, more scientists were needed.

There was at present too much information for them to deal with. Much of this had been supplied by underwater divers who had produced colour slides of sea creatures at depths of up to 140 ft. The principal lecturers at the conference were Dr. J. F. C. Morgans, of the Canterbury University Marine Laboratory, Dr. E. Bathan, of Portobello, Dr. R. Pike, erf Island Bay, Dr. W. J. Ballantine, of Leigh, Professor G. Knox, of Canterbury, and Dr. J. Brodie, director of oceanography of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Dr. Bathan was elected president and Mr J. B. Jillett, secretary.