The Navy Vol_22_Part2 1960 - Navy League of Australia

MELBOURNESTEAMSHIPCO. LTD.Head Office51 KING ST., MELBOURNEBranches or Agenciesat all portsManaging Agents forHOBSONS BAY DOCK ANDENGINEERING CO. PTY.LTD.Works: Williamstown, VictoriaHODGE ENGINEERING CO.PTY. LTD.Works: Sussex St., SydneyandCOCKBURN ENGINEERINGPTY. LTD.Works: Hints Rd., FremantleShip Repairers, etc.Always ask lor . . .SHELLEY'SFAMOUS DRINKSObtainable from leadingshops and saloonsCORDIAL FACTORYSHELLEY & SONSPTY.MURRAYLTD.STREETMARRICKVILLEN.S.W.Phone: LA 5461HYDROGRAPHERS CONFERThe Hydrographer of TheRoyal Australian Navv. ('dr.•J. 11. S. Osborn (right),discusses with (.'dr. J. Sehoficldthe amount of survey workwhich still lias to be done. Itis estimated that it will be atleast 25 years before theAustralian coastline will bewell charted.AUSTRALIA'S OCEANOGRAPHICAL SURVEYSBy G. F. HUMPHREY, M.Sc., Ph.D.,Chief, C.S.I.R.O. Division of Fisheries ami Oceanography,HK C.S.I.R.O. laboratory inT Cronnlla was founded in1938 to study the fisheries ofAustralia. It was thought thatpelagic fisheries for fish suchas tuiiii and pilchards might bestarted and that the productionof the existing fisheriesmight be stabilised if scientificinformation were available.Fluctuations in catch and inavailability of stocks are notconducive to a stable industry.It was realised from the startthat it was not enough simplyto examine the fish. It was alsonecessary to study the environmentin which the fish lived.Thus oceanographical investigationswere planned, but owingto the war. it was not possibleto carry them out untilthe early 1950s, and then onlyin a minor way. The limitingfactor was always availabilityof ships. It was not until 1959,when the R.A.N, refitted DIA-MANTINA and GASCOYNE asoceantigraphical vessels thatAustralia was able to carry outan extensive deep-sea series ofinvestigations.C.S.I.R.O.'s own vessels 185-ft. WARREEN and 72-ft. DER-WENT HUNTER) worked inthe Coral and Tasman Seas.Mass Strait, the Great AustralianBight, and the IndianOcean. Apart from one cruiseto Noumea ami one to NewZealand, the work was withina few miles of the coast. Withoutan occauographical laboratoryon board and with speedlimited to ti knots, the scientificwork done was very limited.Nevertheless, many valuableresults were obtained. For example.it was shown that barracoutacongregated at theedge of the water masses movingthrough Bass Strait ratherthan at the places where fishfood was found.The Naval frigates with theirwell-equipped laboratories amispeeds of 15 knots, have enabledC.S.I."R.O. to extend theareas of observation ami thetypes of work done. Thecruises so far carried out havebeen exploratory to define theinteresting areas and problemsso that intensive studies canbe planned for future cruises.H.M.A.S. DIAMANTINA hasalready made three cruises:Dm 1/59 was a run from Sydneyto Perth when oceanogriipliicgear was tested and modifiedfor use on the ship:Dm 2/59 was a long cruisefrom October 11 to November9 from Fremantle to Onslow toCronulla.Cocos Island to Onslow. Thenfollowed a series of east-westlines in the Indian Ocean.Dm 1/60 from February 2 to•March 23 continued the liliesof Dm 2/59 south of Fremantle.and did two lines south ofthe Great Australian Bight betweenFremantle and Adelaide.One interesting finding on thesecruises is that the euphoticzone (the area where bothplants and animals live andgrow) extends as far down as80 fathoms. This is much deeperthan in the Tasman Sea (50fathoms). Another finding isthat in about 500 fathoms andsouth-west from Perth, thereare internal waves with amplitudesup to 600 ft. There weresmaller waves (60-80 ft.) atabout 20°s.In the Pacific Ocean,H.M.A.S. GASCOYNE hasmade two cruises: G 1/60 leftSydney on February' 2, travelledto the north of New Zealand.thence to Fiji, north-westtowards the Solomons, south toNoumea, and returned to Sydneyon March 8. Cruise G 2/60left Sydney on March 17, travelledto Port Moresby, ManusIsland. Kavieng, Rabatil, andreturned to Sydney on April 21.On these cruises it was foundthat the deep water in theWE ARE SUPPLIERS OF SEA FRESH LOCAL FISHandDirect Importers of United Kingdom and ContinentalQUICK-FROZEN FISHWholesale Suppliers to Hotels and RestaurantsWE SPECIALISE IN SHIPS PR0VID0RINGBULK COLD STORE AND WHOLESALE DEPT.:Corner of Gibbons and Marian Streets, Redfern—MX 5688A. A. MURRELLS FISH SUPPLYHead Office.-195 George Street, Sydney-BU 5945. After Hours-FY 5470.53 THE NAVYJuno. I96021