minus those known to have died since banding. Very few skuas return as yearlings, but the percent- Microbial Activity in age of return increases until at least the fourth year. J. RICHTER, D. WARNKE, and W. SCHWARTZ The large numbers of Adélie chicks (25,083) and skua chicks (1,236) banded at Department of Oceanography present a unique opportunity to study the move- Florida State University ments of these birds before they breed and, once they attain breeding age, their emigrations to other Geomicrobiological investigations were carried rookeries. Observations of 42 Adélies and 14 skuas out by Florida State University in the sea-land of known age that had been banded at Cape Crozier boundary zone of Anvers Island during the past were made by Wood between 1965 and 1967 at summer. The objectives of the program were to , Marble Point, and Franklin and Beau- study the role of microorganisms in the weathering fort Islands and by other persons at these and other processes of rocks in an extreme environment, the antarctic locations. None of these birds was breed- early biochemical processes in guano formation in ing. The most distant places at which each species the rookeries of Adélie penguins, the microbial con- has been observed are the Hallett rookery, 565 km tent of raw soils, and the nutrient contribution of from Cape Crozier (a three-year-old Adélie) and the land mass to the near-shore environment. Franklin Island, 160 km from Cape Crozier (a Samples were collected from both terrestrial and four-year-old skua). As more Adélies and skuas marine environments. Terrestrial samples were taken reared at Cape Crozier reach breeding age, we during the first part of the field season near should be able to measure the presently unknown Palmer Station, on Norsel and Bonaparte Points, on extent of the interchange between rookeries. Litchfield, Humble, Torgersen, and Horseshoe Is- lands, at the sea cave on Dream Island, and at Port Several other events occurred that are of interest: Lockroy. Other sampling was done at sites between Two giant petrels, Macronectes giganteus, which had been banded as chicks six years earlier on Mac- Cape Monaco and Perrier Bay during a helicopter flight along the west coast of Anvers Island. Vegeta- quarie Island, and a dark skua, tentatively identified tion, soil, rock, snow, and meltwater samples were as Cat haracta skua lonnbergi, were collected at Cape Crozier. A previously unreported Adélie pen- collected for assay of microbial populations; petro- guin rookery was discovered at the southeastern tip graphic determinations will be made also. of Franklin Island (76 106S. 168 1 121E.). A light Nineteen oceanographic stations were occupied in rain fell for an hour on January 30 at Cape Crozier, cooperation with personnel from the University of the first ever recorded there. Miami, using the Greenland cruiser of USCGC Westwind. The first series of these stations was A continuing phase of this program is the devel- aligned on a transection from the ice front in Arthur opment of bands that will withstand the effects of Harbor, past the Outcast Islands, to Bismarck Strait. seawater and low temperatures, and the furnishing Other stations were occupied in the approaches to of them upon request to other nations engaged in Arthur Harbor, in Loudwater Cove, at Port Lock- antarctic research (cf. table). During the past year, roy, in the Peltier Channel, and off Biscoe Point. An a newly designed Teflon band (Penney and Sladen, attempt to complete a transection between Biscoe 1966) was put on 170 emperor penguins, Apteno- Point and the Wauwermans Islands had to be aban- dytes forsteri, at Cape Crozier; other bands were doned because of high winds and rough water. sent to the New Zealand Antarctic Research Pro- At each oceanographic station, samples were taken gramme, Expeditions Polaires Françaises, and the with Niskin bags for microbial analysis and with Instituto Antartico Chileno. Over 6,600 birds of Nansen and Van Dorn bottles for physicochemical seven different species were banded during the testing. Parts of the samples were deep-frozen for 1966-1967 season by four different nations. shipment to Florida State University. At Palmer, mi- croorganisms were separated from the samples by running the water through miflipore filters. Success- References ful inoculations were obtained from all stations. Ad- ditional millipore filtrations were made to assay the Penney, R. L. and W. J. L. Sladen. 1966. The use of Teflon particulate matter present in the water and for car- for banding penguins. Journal of Wildlife Management, bon analyses of the filtered material after its ship- 30(4): 847-850. ment to Florida State University. Sladen, W. J. L., R. C. Wood, and W. B. Emison. 1966. Sediment samples were taken from the ocean bot- Antarctic avian population studies, 1965-1966. Antarctic tom whenever feasible. These were analyzed for Journal of the United States, 1(4): 141-142. both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and sections

July-August, 1967 103 More than 60 samples collected from a variety of habitats were examined for free-living protozoans. During the short intervals between field trips, at- tempts were made to culture these organisms in the biological laboratory at McMurdo. About 36 soil and water samples were sent to South Dakota, where the species they contain are now being identified and preliminary culture experiments are being made. Studies were conducted to determine if parasitic protozoans were present in the feces and blood ob-

J. tained from 62 skuas, 108 Adélie penguins, and 16 emperor penguins (4 adults and 12 chicks). The feces were subjected to fixation methods and stained

31 Y with hematoxylin. Blood smears were air-dried and later treated with Wrights stain. Preliminary exami- (Photo by D. Warnke) nations made thus far have not revealed the pres- Dr. Schwartz takes soil sample at penguin rookery on Humble ence of protozoans. At , slides were pre- Island. pared of both blood and intestinal material from four Weddell seals. were prepared for textural and chemical analyses. Soils were collected at the following localities: All samples were shipped to Florida State University Lakes Vanda, Bonney, Chad, and Fryxell in the for laboratory analysis. dry-valley area; at "Clear Lake", "", and During a two-week extension of the field season, other locations near ; at "Skua Lake" one of the authors (Warnke) and other scientists and various ponds near ; at Cape Crozier, working at Palmer Station visited Deception Island Marble Point, and Kar Plateau; and near Mount for one week. Soil and water samples were obtained Discovery and Hobbs Peak. from the major fumarole areas on the shores of Port Preliminary results of the investigation of melt- Foster, and sediment and water samples were col- water ponds near McMurdo indicate that ciliates of lected from lakes and lagoons near those shores and the genus Nassula, which have a pinkish red colora- in the vicinity of the Chilean station. Although the tion, are the most dominant species. It appears that group was based at the British station during this the red rotifers and red ciliates may obtain their red period, it enjoyed not only its hospitality but also pigmentation from the red algae. that of the Chilean and Argentine stations. Living specimens identified so far include 6 spe- cies of rhizopods, 16 species of ciliates, and 3 spe- cies of flagellates. None of the rhizopods had pre- viously been reported to occur in the McMurdo The Ecology of Free-Living and area. Further isolates will be made from the soil samples, which are being kept under refrigeration. Parasitic Protozoa of Antarctica

RAYMOND D. DiLLON Oxygen Consumption in a Department of Zoology Hemoglobin-Free Fish University of South Dakota E. A. HEMMINGSEN During the antarctic summer of 1966-1967, water Scripps Institution of Oceanography and soils from lakes and meltwater ponds on Ross University of California (San Diego) Island and the mainland were examined for the and presence of free-living protozoans. Large numbers and many varieties of these organisms were ob- G. C. GRIGG tained. Preliminary examination of the samples col- Department of Biology lected indicates that protozoans are more prevalent University of Oregon in the areas visited than had been expected. More detailed searches of the soils, ponds, and lakes, in- Unlike any other vertebrates, fishes of the family cluding the collection of lichens and mosses, will aid Chaenichthyidae lack hemoglobin in their blood. in determining the population levels of protozoans. These fishes are found only in antarctic and subant-

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