PROGRESS REPORTS of the PACIFIC COAST STATIONS

FI5HLRIL5 RESEARCH BOARD OF CANADA

A V ^? JAN 1 * 151 N f LIBB BIOLOGICAL STATION- ^ P.O. Drawer 100 • Nanaimo, B.C. and — TLCHNOLOGICAL STATION University of BritisFi Columbia Campus Vancouver 8, B.C.

No. 113

SEPTEMBER 1 9 5 9 NOTICE This series of Progress Reports was instituted in 1929 to acquaint the Canadian Fishing Industry with the investigations conducted by this Board through its Pacific Coast Stations. Since then this purpose has been served in- creasingly by other, perhaps more suitable means. The Board itself has increased the volume, scope and variety of its other publications, including "Circulars”, issued on timely occasions by its various Stations. In addition, newspapers and trade journals now frequently feature highlights of the Board’s investigations. It appears therefore, that publishing these Progress Reports may have become superfluous. Hence, this Board is considering discontinuance of this Series, after possibly one more issue, unless it should be found through reaction to this announcement that the demand for these Progress Reports is much greater than estimated at the present time.

• •\ A . :,V' - PACIFIC PROGRESS REPORTS NO. 113 r .i SEPTEMBER 1959 \1 , A v I » ; :

r / CONTENTS

The use of condensed herring solubles in turkey poult rations - B. E. March, Jacob Biely, H. L. A. Tarr, and R. A. MacLeod 3 Observations on adult pink salmon behaviour W. Percy Wickett 6 Note on the behaviour of pink salmon fry W. Percy Wickett 8

The occurrence of lesser lancet fish ( Anotopterus pharao Zugmayer) in the northeast Pacific Ocean ------G. T. Taylor 10

The primary productivity and fertility of the northeast Pacific and the British Columbia coastal waters - - - J. D. H. Strickland 13 Damage to the Qualicum River stream bed by a flood in January 1958 ------W. Percy Wickett 16 Recent publications of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 18

Vancouver Technological Station occupies new quarters 19

QUEEN ’S PRINTER AND CONTROLLER OF STATIONERY OTTAWA , 1950 THE USE OF CONDENSED HERRING SOLUBLES IN TURKEY POULT RATIONS The growth promoting properties of condensed herring solubles for poultry have been repeatedly demonstrated. The product was originally used to supplement all-vegetable rations principally on account of its vitamin B12 content but it is now primarily employed for the as yet unidentified factor(s) which it contains. Constituting, as it does, an evaporated water- extract of whole herring, the condensed product contains high levels of other members of the vitamin B-complex in addition to vitamin B12. It would appear, therefore, that condensed herring solubles might, in addition to supplying vitamin B12 and unidentified factors, reduce the need for products commonly employed as vitamin B-complex supplements such as dried solubles from various distillation industries, brewers’ dried yeast and dried skim milk. There is also evidence that with certain types of rations, the inorganic portion may be responsible for some of the as yet uncharacterized growth stimulating effect. Turkey poults, because of their rapid rate of growth, have high and critical nutritional requirements. The following experiments were conducted to determine if condensed herring solubles might not be equally as efficacious as dried brewers’ yeast as a natural supplement of B-complex vitamins in turkey poult rations.

Table 1. Composition of basal diets.

Diet 1 Diet 2 Diet 3

lb/ 100 lb lb/ 100 lb lb/100 lb Ground wheat 25.3 Ground corn 15.0 31.9 Ground feed screenings 36.3 Ground oats 5.0 5.0 5.0 Dehydrated cereal grass 3.0 3.0 3.0 Herring meal (70%) 10.0 Meatmeal (50%) 5.0 5.0 5.0 Soybean oil meal (44%) 29.5 43.0 47.4 Limestone 2.0 2.0 2.0 Bonemeal 1.0 1.5 1.5 Iodized salt 0.5 0.5 0.5 Manganese sulphate 0.0125 0.0125 0.0125 Tallow 3.0 3.0 3.0 Feeding oil (2250A - 300D) 0.5 0.5 0.5 Choline chloride 25% 0.2 0.2 0.2 DL-Methionine 0.025 0.025 0.025 grams grams grams Riboflavin 0.15 0.2 0.2 Niacin 1.0 1.5 1.5 Calcium pantothenate 0.5 0.5 0.5 Alpha-tocopheryl acetate 0.25 0.25 0.25 mg mg mg

Vitamin B > 2 0.25 0.25 Procaine penicillin G 0.2

3 Three different basal diets were employed in the study (Table I). In the first experiment the diet contained 10% herring meal. In the second and third experiments no fishmeal was included in the diets but the two diets fed differed in that they contained feed screenings and corn respectively as the principal cereal component. Riboflavin, niacin, and calcium pantothenate are readily available in high potency commercial vitamin concen- trates. Since it is not general practice to rely on natural products, these vitamins were added in purified form to the experimental diets employed here, thus removing them from the possible factors involved in any response to the two products being compared. Vitamin B12 was added to Diets 2 and 3 but not to Diet 1 which contained 10% herring meal. In Experiment 1 the growth responses of Broad Breasted Bronze poults to condensed herring solubles and to dried brewers’ yeast were compared when the products were used to supplement Diet 1 at levels of 1.5 and 3.0%. Each dietary treatment was imposed on 20 male and 20 female poults from 0-6 weeks of age. In Experiment 2 the poults employed were Beltsville Small White poults. Condensed herring solubles and dried brewers’ yeast were added to the basal diets 2 and 3 at 3% level. Triplicate lots of 13-14 poults of mixed sexes were fed each of the experimental diets until they were 5 weeks of age. In Experiment 3 Broad Breasted Bronze poults were fed Diets 2 and 3 with and without 3% of condensed herring solubles and dried brewers’ yeast. Each diet was fed to 19 male and 19 female poults for almost 9 weeks (0-61 days).

Table II. Average final weights of poults in experiments 1, 2 and 3.

Average weights (grams) Males Females Mean

Experiment 1 (at 6 weeks of age) Control diet 1 1236 1069 1152 -T 1.5% condensed herring solubles 1298 1087 1192 -j- 3% condensed herring solubles 1334 1117 1226 -j- 1.5% dried brewers’ yeast 1254 1058 1156 -j- 3% dried brewers’ yeast 1282 1011 1146 Experiment 2 ( at 5 weeks of age) Control diet 2 577 + 3% condensed herring solubles 626 + 3% dried brewers’ yeast 599 Control diet 3 559 + 3% condensed herring solubles 624 -j- 3% dried brewers’ yeast 569 Experiment 3 (at 9 weeks of age) Control diet 2 2206 1970 2088 + 3% condensed herring solubles 2352 2048 2220 — 3% dried brewers’ yeast 2356 2079 2218 Control diet 3 2170 1993 2081 -j- 3% condensed herring solubles 2402 1966 2184 -j- 3% dried brewers’ yeast 2370 1943 2156

4 The average weights of the poults at the termination of each experiment are shown in Table II. With the three different control diets (with and without fishmeal and containing wheat, corn and feed screenings as the principal cereal component) employed, condensed herring solubles stimulated growth to a greater extent than did dried brewers’ yeast. Although for the purposes of experimental design, vitamin B12 was included in all the diets fed in Experiments 2 and 3, it is most probable that the poults receiving 3% of condensed herring solubles required no additional B12 supplement in the diet. The observed relatively low response to the dried brewers’ yeast as compared with that to the condensed herring solubles cannot be attributed to differences in the carryover of known or unknown factors from the breeder stock. The fact that similar results were obtained in three different experiments and that the poults were from different breeder flocks in each instance would make this possibility unlikely. It is concluded that, with the type of practical turkey starting diet used, condensed herring solubles is an effective supplement. Poults from three different sources showed a better response to condensed herring solubles than to dried brewers’ yeast. The difference between the response to condensed herring solubles and to dried brewers’ yeast occurred with a diet containing herring meal and with diets containing no herring meal but supplemented with vitamin BI2. Additional experiments will be conducted to determine whether supplementation of turkey diets with other natural sources of B-complex vitamins and unidentified factor(s) in addition to condensed herring solubles is warranted. Department of Poultry Science B. E. MARCH The University of British Columbia. JACOB BIELY Fisheries Research Board of Canada H. L. A. TARR Technological Station, Vancouver, B.C. R. A. MACLEOD

5 OBSERVATIONS ON ADULT PINK SALMON BEHAVIOUR The behaviour of spawning adult pink salmon was recorded at Nile Creek, B.C., during the 1953 season. Twenty-eight male and 21 female pink salmon were transported from the trap at the mouth of the stream to the controlled flow section. Most of the fish were taken in the last three days of September but 2 males and 4 females were transported at the beginning of the month. On October 1, the deposition of eggs and milt was clearly observed from a distance of 6 feet. A pair of fish partially blinded by fungus occupied a redd immediately in front of the counting fence. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon the writer started to brush the wire fence with a stable broom and observed that the pair, unlike the other fish in the area, did not become alarmed but continued with redd construction. The female carried out the digging in the centre and around the periphery of an area about 4 feet across. The thrust with the tail, while her body was arched with the left side down, directed a jet of water on to the gravel. The thrust would send the fish upstream. She would then circle around to the right and glide upstream into the redd, frequently passing under the male. Occasionally the female wandered about before returning, but the male was inclined to hold position on the redd regardless of the female’s wanderings. The stable broom, of which the head was about the size of a salmon, was moved into the vicinity of the redd and out again. When the broom was within 3 feet of the female, the male would attack it by delivering a hard bunt with his head. The broom was withdrawn and the pair continued with the redd. When they had become more familiar with the observer and the broom, the other fish in the vicinity resumed their previous behaviour. Two females had redds 6 to 10 feet to the left and upstream with pairs of fish on them, while 5 unpaired males were cruising about in the general area. A large sighted unattached male drove off the partially blind male and became dominant. The original dominant male had to be constantly chased or bunted to keep him more than 3 feet away. The observer then attempted to establish the broom-head as a dominant male. The large sighted male was driven off easily but a quite violent series of blows was required to drive off the partially blind male. During the ensuing melee, the female gave the observer’s ankle a sharp bunt. The female quickly returned to the redd and held over it while the broom took up the position of the dominant male holding position over the downstream edge of the redd for a short period. The broom was withdrawn and 2 males began to spar for position. The female made a few passes upstream through the centre of the redd. Sud- denly she and 6 males dropped into the deepest part of the redd. Clouds of milt and eggs briefly roiled up in it were seen. It was only possible to see the ejaculation of milt by the outside male, but it is presumed that all the males participated. After a brief milling, the procedure was repeated. Dur- ing the second deposition the fish were not disturbed when the broom was pressed into the flank of the outside male.

6 The pattern of generalized digging by the female and fighting among the males then resumed. The females at the two nearby redds were not digging and their males did not take part in the deposition. Only 1 or 2 eggs were observed during digging and one appeared to roll out along the anal fin at one point. It is concluded that a few loose eggs are dropped incidently during digging and that the main pockets of eggs are deliberately deposited. The 5 sighted males were upstream from the redd at the time the female made the original passes through the redd. The speed with which the sighted fish gathered and the slight lag of the partially blinded male from against the fence indicated a visual cue with perhaps a sound cue as well. The only cue seen by the observer was the pressing of the female's body into the bottom of the redd. Digging by females has often been observed in daytime but I have never before seen such an easily defined egg deposition. The milt resembled a pint of milk poured into the stream. Because the pair of fish primarily con- cerned were partially blind, able to distinguish a generalized shape like the broom but not able to recognize it and the observer clearly, it is conjectured that a low light intensity is normally needed for the deposition of eggs. This has an obvious survival value because also the sighted fish ignored the observer during deposition, even when being bumped by the broom, and hence spawning during daytime would make the fish very vulnerable to predation. After spawning, they retired when disturbed. The deposition occurred at 4.30 p.m. Four days later, the partially blind female was less active and tended to move 10 feet from the redd, particularly when attacked by the female which had the redd 6 feet towards the right bank. A ragged male was in attendance. The large male and the partially blind male were spending most of their time by the left bank fighting. Their activity was centred on themselves rather than the redd. The redd had been filled in and a broad shallow exca- vation made in a curve to the right facing upstream. A female on the other redd 10 feet upstream was digging weakly attended by a damaged male who had difficulty maintaining his dominant position. This male was observed to dig 4 times. The female attacked him when he was in the centre of the redd and from then on the other males kept him on the move away from the redd. The female appeared to react to the digging behaviour (usually a female behaviour pattern), while the males reacted to the form. Often males are seen to quiver when next to a female which is digging, circling and coasting into the redd under him. A male was observed to dig briefly after rushing another male. It is suggested that displacement behaviour is involved in these actions. Fisheries Research Board of Canada Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C. W. PERCY WICKETT

7 NOTE ON THE BEHAVIOUR OF PINK SALMON FRY In the spring of 1954, pink salmon fry were observed as they swam in the surface film of the pool above the counting fence at the mouth of Nile Creek. Both upstream and downstream movements were seen under differ- ing conditions. At night, the lights of the counting fence could be turned on and the fry seen and timed as they swam downstream in the surface film. The fry followed the path of the fastest moving water where the water velocity was 0.5 foot per second. The fry's speed over the bottom was 2.0 feet per second, or 1.5 feet per second in excess of the current. The screen of the fence led the fry into a counting pen which was arranged so that the fry had to make a 180° turn into slow moving water. Between 8 and 9 o'clock in the morning of April 23rd, 25 fry from the previous night's migration were taken from the pen in the counting fence. These fry were marked by removing the dorsal fin, placed in a bucket and then kept all day in the darkened hatchery. It was dark by 8.15 in the even- ing. Fry began arriving at the fence by 8.30 p.m. From 8.30 p.m. to 9.00 p.m., these newly arriving fry were dipped out of the surface film as they approached the fence. Twenty-five of the second lot of fry were marked by removing both ventral fins and placed in a bucket of water. Both sets of marked fish were carried upstream and released at 10 o'clock, 400 yards above the fence. At 10.15 p.m. the first marked fry was dipped up as it approached the fence. Within the next few minutes several fry of each mark were dipped up. The lights were turned off soon after because coho and trout yearlings were taking advantage of the light to rise off the bottom and seize many of the fry. The fry taken from the pen in the morning had been exposed to light for several hours and had maintained position in the pen by swimming against the slight current. Under the stimulus of being released into a stream in the dark they had travelled downstream as quickly as the fry taken at night, which had a minimum exposure to light. Floats, released from the same point as the fry, took between 17 and 20 minutes to make the same journey. It was found that floats would become trapped in back eddies, and the above time was obtained by renewing floats as others were trapped. The fry evidently orient themselves to travel in the fastest moving water but their net speed is not much faster than that of the water. Judging by observations made at night with a shielded flashlight, the fry move in a series of darts in the more turbulent parts of the stream. Probably most of the migration activity is taken up in constant re-orientation to the faster moving waters as had to be done for the floats. When orientation became easier as in the area above the fence (floats did not need to be renewed), a marked increase in speed over the ground was apparent. On May 4th, fry had been prevented from entering the trapping pen and had accumulated along the fence. At 5.25 in the morning it was light but dull with spots of rain. Fry were seen to come off the fence and swim upstream. A school of 11 fry was observed to swim against the fastest part of the current. They reached the shadow of a large tree with low-hanging boughs, 170 feet upstream, by 6.15 and were lost from sight in a deep pool. The

8 cruising speed at a temperature of 6-7°C was calculated to be 0.56 foot per second. These fry swam at the surface and ripples caused by their wake were clearly visible. The water was about a foot deep and at the same stage as on April 23rd. Other fry were observed holding position above the fence. When the gate to the pen was removed, the majority of the fry were swept along the fence and into the trap. The results of these observations demonstrate the existence of two different sets of behaviour which are not necessarily irreversible and which occur under different conditions of light and stimulation. Fisheries Research Board of Canada Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C. W. PERCY WICKETT

9 THE OCCURRENCE OF LESSER LANCET FISH ( Anotopterus fiharao Zugmayer) IN THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC OCEAN Canadian exploratory fishing vessels have, during their coverage of the area allotted by the International North Pacific Fisheries Commission, captured in their gill nets several specimens of the rare lesser lancet fish { Anotopterus pharao ). The motor vessel Key West 11 captured eight of these fish in 1957 and one in 1958. The motor vessel Fort Ross caught two in 1958. (See Table I.) Although records of its occurrence are few, the species appears to have worldwide distribution. These fish have been netted off Gibraltar, bottom- longlined off Madeira, taken from albacore stomachs in the Bay of Biscay and ring-netted off Portugal. Other specimens have been dredged up off Coats Land in the Antarctic, taken from a whale stomach in the Weddell Sea and from the stomachs of lancet fish off Madeira. In the Pacific Ocean the head of a juvenile lesser lancet fish was obtained from the stomach of a tuna caught off Cape St. James, Queen Charlotte Islands, one was found in a salmon drift-net in the Bering Sea and another in a dip net off the Japanese Islands. Two specimens were caught on a longline off Kiska Island in the Aleutians. Despite these occurrences there are very few whole fish available for examination, so that the catches by the Canadian research vessels are important additions for examination and lead to further speculation as to the distribution and habits of this fish.

Table I. Dates and locations of capture of lesser lancet fish by Canadian research vessels.

Position Date Latitude North Longitude West Number 14 June 1957 54° 53' 134° 22' 4 3 July 1957 55° Off 155° 55' 1 10 July 1957 58° 00' 145° 00' 2 11 July 1957 55° 00' 145° 00' 1 7 June 1958 55° 00' 150° Off 1 10 June 1958 55° Off 150° 00' 1 15 August 1958 55° 00' 135° 00' 1

With the increase in exploratory fishing for salmon on the high seas in the north Pacific Ocean, the number of recorded occurrences of these fish other than those mentioned above has increased. A small specimen was taken from the stomach of a blue shark in 1956 at 50°00 N, 130°00 W, and the head bones of a juvenile were found in the stomach of a pomfret caught in a salmon gill net off the Queen Charlotte Islands in 1956. There are several records of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service chartered salmon gill net vessels capturing specimens of this fish, but only one of these was caught in the Gulf of Alaska ; the remainder were taken much further to the west.

10 As may be seen from the photographs in Fig. 1 and 2, the fish has a striking appearance . Its body is elongate and possessed of a large set of jaws with a number of dagger -like teeth . The body of the fish is silvery with an almost black narrow dorsal stripe . Except for the head , the fish has a snake -like appearance .

FIG. 1.—Specimens of the lesser lancet fish.

FIG. 2.—Head ends of the lesser lancet fish shown in Fig. 1.

11 Its distribution in the Gulf of Alaska appears to be widespread as the species was caught at each of the four stations which the Key West II occupied in 1957 , i.e., along the 55 th parallel and the 58th parallel . They were also caught to the south of these lines in 1958 . The fish has been described as deep water dwelling but it is noteworthy that all but one reported here were caught in gill nets having a maximum depth of 20 feet , which were set out for fishing during the night . The other was caught in a sunken gill net and was found at a depth of about 75 feet . The pomfret , steelhead and blue sharks in whose stomachs smaller specimens of lesser lancet fish were found , were also caught by this method . The lengths of the specimens examined varied between 459 mm and 1038 mm (approximately 18 and 41 inches ). The majority exceeded the lengths given for the earlier -caught specimens . Two stomachs have been examined , other specimens were preserved intact . One stomach was empty ; the other was so filled with juvenile greenlings ( Hexagrammus superciliosus Pallas ) that they fell out of the mouth when the fish was brought on deck . As greenling have also been found in stomachs of other fish which were considered to be mainly surface feeders , it is thought that lesser lancet fish move near to the surface of the waters and feed at night . Fisheries Research Board of Canada Biological Station . Nanaimo , B.C. G. T. TAYLOR

12 THE PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY AND FERTILITY OF THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC AND THE BRITISH COLUMBIA COASTAL WATERS Until recently, the main effort in oceanography by this Board's Pacific Oceanographic Group has been directed towards describing the physical conditions of the seas adjacent to the Canadian west coast and the northeast Pacific Ocean. This formidable task, although in no sense completed, is now well advanced, especially as a result of the greatly accelerated tempo of work in the last five years. Certain general features of water structure and movement are becoming recognized in the open ocean as well as in the more frequented areas of in-shore fishing. We are able to state and predict, in some measure, those physical aspects of the sea which affect fishing, namely the temperature and salt contents of the water and the movements of the sea surface which concentrate fish or fish feed and which disperse fish eggs and larvae. This information, however, tells us little about the production of living matter in the sea by photosynthesis. As on land, the food cycle in the sea commences with the production of plants, which grow by making use of the abundant source of carbon dioxide in the water. The carbon dioxide is incorporated into living matter under the action of sunlight and this process is called photosynthesis. The seaweeds, present in impressive amounts near the seashore, contribute only a negligible fraction to the total plant production. The great bulk is in the form of microscopic, floating plants called phytoplankton. The amount of this plant material produced each year throughout the seas of the world is enormous and is estimated to equal or exceed the production of living matter on all the dry lands of the earth. The phytoplankton is grazed by minute animals which form the zooplankton and these, in turn, form the basis of fish feed. The amount of plant material, its location and its rate of reproduction, are therefore of the greatest importance when considering the many factors affecting the abundance of fish. A study of the ‘"primary" productivity and fertility of sea water is hence recognized throughout the world as an essential part of fisheries research. In the last decade this research effort has greatly increased in many countries and on the Pacific Coast of Canada the oceanographic effort is now being extended to include a program of primary productivity investigations. Preliminary studies have been undertaken in the past two years and, with the extension of the Board’s laboratories for marine chemical investigations on this coast, this work enters a more active phase. Plant growth is only possible in the surface layers of the oceans where sufficient sunlight can penetrate the sea, to a depth which rarely exceeds 100 feet in our coastal regions. Carbon and sulphur compounds are always present in the water in sufficient quantities but the growth of the phytoplankton will stop if all the nitrogen and phosphorus in the form of their various compounds are used up. This is what occurs with plant growth on dry land in a “worked out" plot of ground. These last two elements easily become depleted in the sea surface as they are present in the water in amounts of less than one part per million. In addition to nitrogen and phosphorus, the presence of minute traces of compounds of such elements as iron, manganese, copper, cobalt and zinc is equally vital to plant life.

13 On land the soil abounds in complex organic chemicals (often produced by bacteria) which are essential for crop growth. Many marine plants have similar requirements which must be satisfied by the traces of dissolved organic matter present in the oceans or transferred there by land drainage.

WORK IN PROGRESS THE AMOUNT OR "STANDING CROP" OF PHYTOPLANKTON The amount of plant material beneath a known area of sea surface at any instant of time is known as the standing crop and can be expressed in several ways. The number of individual plants, their weight or volume are often used. However these measurements have little significance in terms of potential food value, as there is an enormous size variation between phytoplankton species. The water content and the amount of inert sub- stances such as silica or lime in the plants are not nearly constant. The most useful measure is the amount of (organic) carbon in the crop and research into the best way to determine this quantity is underway. The difficulty is mainly one of collection and the separation of animal material from plant life. In addition, the phosphorus and nitrogen contents of the crop have considerable significance and we can make a "proximate" analysis for pro- tein, carbohydrate and fat as is done in agriculture for grass and cereals. All these methods are being studied and perfected. Preliminary measurements are being attempted at Departure Bay, B.C., and in the open ocean at Weathership “P” (50° N, 145° W). The amount of food stuff alone is not a complete answer ; its availability must also be considered. For this purpose we must know the approximate size of the plant cells and have some idea of their shape. Occasionally, cells may be too large or otherwise difficult to be eaten by the prevailing zooplankton or fish larvae, but in general the more abundant the crop the greater the production of marine life. THE RATE OF PLANT GROWTH BY PHOTOSYNTHESIS The standing crop of phytoplankton does not necessarily tell us much about the rate of production of primary food stuff. A large crop may have its growth nearly at a standstill. When a plant grows on land or in water, carbon dioxide is removed from the environment. At the same time an equivalent amount of oxygen is given out by the plant. The rate of growth by photosynthesis can therefore be measured by finding the decrease of carbonate, or increase of oxygen, in the sea in a given time. Both these methods are now being studied. In addition, if we add a little of the radioactive form of carbon (the “carbon-14” isotope) to the sea water we can “follow” the uptake of carbonate by measuring the amount of radioactivity introduced into the plant cells. This method has great advantages in speed and sensi- tivity. There are, however, rather subtle difficulties in interpreting the results of such measurements and considerable research is required before the situation is clarified. As with crop measurements, preliminary field experiments this year are being conducted in Departure Bay and at the Weathership. PHYSICAL FACTORS AFFECTING PLANT GROWTH As photosynthesis can only take place under the influence of sunlight it is essential to measure the amount of light energy striking the sea surface. We must also know the extent to which the sea absorbs this radiation as it passes down into the water. These optical measurements are now made on a

14 routine basis at Departure Bay, and on ships used for oceanographic research. The current problem of greatest interest is to find a way to predict the productivity of phytoplankton in nature from the behaviour of a sample of sea water illuminated in a ship’s laboratory. The solution to this problem is more difficult than might be supposed, and will form the basis of much of the research in the coming years. Physical factors, such as the temperature and the salt content of the water, affect the nature of the phytoplankton more than the total amount of crop or its rate of reproduction. These factors are under investigation in the present physical oceanographic program. THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF SEA WATER FOR PHYTOPLANKTON GROWTH This is by far the largest single phase of the productivity studies now being commenced and the one that most requires the facilities of a modern chemical laboratory. The routine analysis of seawater samples for a wide variety of nutritional compounds (up to fifteen or twenty determinations on each sample) is a task of considerable difficulty, requiring a high degree of specialization. So far, this has scarcely been attempted anywhere in the world but it is hoped to start work on this subject in the near future, making use of existing methods which have been tried out and modified, and of new techniques which have been devised in the past two years. The decomposition of dead or dying plants and animals back into inorganic supplies of nitrogen and phosphorus takes place in the sea by the action of bacteria. In the same way these compounds are formed from rotting vegetation or animal matter on land. The rate of this regeneration of mineralized nutrients affects the fertility of the shallow sea areas around our coast. Factors affecting the bacteria and other agencies of decay in coastal waters require investigation. In deeper waters and in the open ocean fresh supplies of plant nutrients are found in abundance as we descend beneath the shallow layer where photosynthesis is taking place. However, the surface water in the sea during spring and summer is generally less dense than the water at greater depths because the surface is warmer and has a larger fresh water content. There is often difficulty, therefore, in mixing nutrients into the surface where plant cells can make use of them. Any mixing that occurs does so under the influence of winds, tidal currents or the general thermal instability of the water. Thus a knowledge of water structure and movement, obtained by physical oceanography, not only helps to predict the conditions suitable for a given fishery but is essential to the understanding of the primary production of food on which the presence and abundance of fish ultimately depends. The techniques employed in the study of photosynthetic productivity are relatively new and quite different from those of descriptive physical oceanography. The two studies are strongly linked, however, and a full knowledge of the physical environment is essential before any final picture of the primary productivity and fertility of a sea area can be obtained. Fisheries Research Board of Canada Pacific Oceanographic Group, Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C. J. D. H. STRICKLAND

15 DAMAGE TO THE QUALICUM RIVER STREAM BED BY A FLOOD IN JANUARY 1958 A heavy flood in the Qualicum River, B.C., on January 23-24, 1958, caused concern that the lower portion of the stream had been badly scoured with consequent high mortality of incubating chum salmon eggs and alevins. Visual examination of the river had been made in the summers of 1957 and 1958 by W. Caulfield and H. Neate. Their opinion was that six stretches of the stream bed below the junction of Hunt Creek, a tributary approximately 3 miles upstream from the mouth, had been scoured by the flood. The whole river was surveyed for permeability of the stream bottom in 1958, by means of the Mark VI Groundwater Standpipe. Comparable readings made in 1957 were only made in Sections 166 to 169, which lie between 600 and 1400 feet downstream from the E. & N. Railway bridge, The results are given in Table I.

Table I.

1957 1958 Depth Depth Section Date water K,.* Date water Kio* inches cm/ hr inches cm/ hr 166 Aug. 15 4 420 Sep. 8 6 1500 Sep. 8 6 1550 167 Aug. 15 3 2510 Sep. 8 14 1500 Aug. 15 6 5310 Sep. 8 14 1600 Aug. 14 10 3820 168 Aug. 15 10 1260 Sep. 8 12 4560 Aug. 15 8 4680 Sep. 8 12 6510 Sep. 8 12 900 Sep. 8 12 1220 169 Mar. 12 5 2860 Sep. 8 8 1130 Mar. 12 7 3430 Sep. 8 8 900 Mar. 12 6 3210 Sep. 8 8 1270 Sep. 8 8 1320 166-169 Average 3056 Average 1997 * Kio is the permeability of the gravel at the standard temperature of 10°C, expressed in units used to measure velocity.

With the present limited data we cannot be precise in our assessment of the flood damage. The average permeabilities recorded do confirm the visual observation that loose gravel was removed or silted-up. Our best estimate of change in productivity is, that in at least one section of the lower stream, where formerly one fish every two square yards would give the maximum fry output, now one fish every three square yards will give the maximum output. This is based on a change in average permeability from 3000 cm/hr to 2000 cm/hr. From surveys made in 1957 and 1958, it appears that there has been a loss in spawning area in 15 sections as indicated in Table II.

16 Table II.

Spawning area Section 1957 1958 sq. yd sq. yd 108 866.7 0 109 1677.8 0 114 403.3 0 116 310.0 0 117 427.8 0 121 1244.4 0 122 786.0 0 136 78.0 0 137 305.9 0 140 2000.0 1000 142 1957.3 1000 146 1171.0 0 147 948.9 0 148 1845.6 1400 160 587.5 0 14610.2 3400

The loss is 11,000 square yards, or 6% of the total spawning grounds of the river. Gauge readings at the logging bridge half a mile upstream from the estuary were made throughout the winter of 1957-58. A reading of 2 feet is considered a desirable level for salmon. The stream is about 67 feet wide at that reading, with a flow of about 300 cubic feet per second. At the peak of the flood, the gauge reading was 7.05 feet. During and after the flood, live eyed coho and chum eggs were found along the banks and in the bushes of the lower stream. Birds were feeding in large numbers on this and nearby stream mouths after the flood. An assessment of fry production from the Qualicum in 1958 is the subject of another report. The loss of part of a particular year-class of salmon and part of the spawning gravel is not the only damage caused by the flood. The rate at which the stream bottom becomes looser, either by removal of fine particles, deposition of moderate sized gravel or by the action of spawning fish will determine how lasting the damage is to future runs of salmon. Fisheries Research Board of Canada Biological Station , Nanaimo, B.C. W. PERCY WICKETT

17 RECENT PUBLICATIONS OF THE FISHERIES RESEARCH BOARD OF CANADA

Subsequent to the notice on pages 22 and 23 of Issue No. 112 of these Progress Reports, the following Board publications have appeared. With the exception of the Circulars these publications are for sale by the Queen’s Printer, Ottawa, Canada. All remittances must be in advance, payable in Canadian funds to the order of the Receiver General of Canada, and sent with order to the Queen’s Printer.

JOURNAL OF THE FISHERIES RESEARCH BOARD OF CANADA Volume 16, No. 1 (January 1959, 145 pp.) ; No. 2 (March 1959, 100 pp.) ; No. 3 (May 1959, 134 pp.) ; No. 4 (August 1959, 177 pp.). Subscription to annual volumes of six bi-monthly issues, post-paid (Canada, United States, Mexico), $5.00; single issues $1.50. To other countries, post-paid $6.00 and $1.75.

BULLETINS OF THE FISHERIES RESEARCH BOARD OF CANADA No. 119. Handbook of computations for biological statistics of fish populations. By W. E. Ricker (1958, 300 pp., cloth-bound $5.00). No. 120. Redfish distribution in the North Atlantic. By Wilfred Templeman (1959, 173 pp., paper-bound $1.75).

PROGRESS REPORTS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST STATIONS No. 71 (December 1958, 30 pp., 30 cents) A comparison of various salt cod products. By F. W. van Klaveren and R. Legendre. Surface sea water temperatures along the Canadian Atlantic Coast, 1954-1957. By Louis Lauzier. Mold contamination in salt fish and method of control. By H. P. Dussault. Fat hydrolysis in frozen fish. I. Free fatty acid formation. By W. J. Dyer, Doris I. Fraser and E. G. Bligh. Stock-taking of molluscan shellfish resources and prospects for improvement. By J. C. Medcof. Introducing European oysters to the Maritimes. By J. C. Medcof and Joan E. Mortimer.

CIRCULARS OF THE BIOLOGICAL STATION, NANAIMO, B.C. No. 51. A comparison between Canadian, British and Japanese nylon gill-net twines. By P. J. G. Carrothers (1959, 14 pp.). No. 52. Sampling of 1958 B.C. salmon catches and escapements for age and sex composition. By T. H. Bilton, M. P. Shepard and D. W. Jenkinson (1959, 6 pp.).

CIRCULARS OF THE ARCTIC UNIT, MONTREAL, QUE. No. 1. The economics of seals in the eastern Canadian arctic. By I. A. McLaren (1958, 94 pp.). No. 2. The walrus in the Canadian arctic. By A. W. Mansfield (1959, 13 pp.).

The above Circulars are available free from the issuing Station or Unit.

18 New Technological Station at Vancouver, B.C.

Vancouver Technological Station Occupies New Quarters This Station commenced operations in 1925 in Prince Rupert , B.C., and remained there with a slowly increasing scientific staff until 1942 when it was transferred to Vancouver . From January , 1943 until March , 1959 the Station was housed in a remodelled factory building in downtown Vancouver , when a move was made to its fine new quarters on the campus of the L ni - versity of British Columbia . This new building , a photograph of which is shown above is of reinforced concrete and glazed gray brick construction , the upper floor of the large block of which houses the chemical , biochemical and microbiological laboratories . The ground floor is occupied by offices , engineering , cold storage and workshop facilities . The small block houses the Station ’s library and offices of the International North Pacific Fisheries Commission . The Official Opening of the new Station took place on September 4 at 2.00 p.m., with the Director , Dr. H. L. A. Tarr , acting as Master of Ceremonies . Short speeches were made by Mr. J. M. Buchanan , Chairman of and repre - senting the Fisheries Association of B.C., Mr. R. Clifton of the Native Brotherhood of B.C., and Dr. J. L. Kask , Chairman of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada . There followed an address by the Honourable Mr. J. Angus MacLean . Minister of Fisheries , after which he cut the ribbon declaring the building open . Guests were then invited to examine numerous demonstra - tions of the Station ’s work , and to visit the offices of the International North Pacific Fisheries Commission .

Vancouver Technological Station Change of Address. All correspondence should be sent to : Fisheries Research Board of Canada Technological Station LTniversity of British Columbia Campus Vancouver 8, B.C. 19