Report of Chairman of Royal Society s Antarctic Research Committed

In July, 1957, Mr. R. W. Willett was appointed deputy chairman of the Committee at Dr. Fleming's request, for health reasons.

Reports. An addition to the Special First Reports in Biology, No. 22 “Marine Nemertines from Antarctica” by E.W. Dawson, N.Z. Oceanographic Institute (at present in the United Kingdom) was distributed in March, 1958. A set of reports was forwarded to the Chief Scientist of the Soviet research ship “Ob”.

T.A.E. Collections. A list of Zoological and Botanical collections made by the Trans-antarctic Expedition (N.Z.) Inc during the 1956–57 season and “returned to Wellington (under curation at the Dominion Museum) was received in the autumn of 1957. In July the Committee recommended to the Ross Sea Committee a panel of New Zealand scientists to whom the material should be submitted for working up, and further recommended that the list be forwarded for consideration by the London Committee of T.A.E. The Committee further recommended that papers dealing with the results of research on Ross Sea biological material be submitted to the Transactions. for publication, and that a superscription be added to each paper indicating that it is a T.A.E. research paper. This would enable reprints to be found in a volume of T.A.E. scientific reports. It also recommended that the Ross Sea Committee should allocate funds to defray part or all of the cost of such publication.

The Committee agreed to assist in a caretaker capacity in scientific matters (collections and reports) after the Ross Sea Committee was wound up at the end of the Expedition.

T.A.E. Summer Programme 1957–58. At the request of the Ross Sea Committee, the committee made detailed recommendations for the summer programme (1957–58) at Scott Base and in H.M.N.Z.S. “Endeavour” These included emphasis on biological work, release of the expedition's biologist from other duties, use of the “Endeavour” to the fullest possible extent to provide transport and opportunity for bottom sampling and other biological work. With some modifications these recommendations were accepted, and a successful programme carried out during the past summer, entailed extensive biological work in McMurdo Sound, including marine biological collecting from “Endeavour” as well as biological and geological exploration in the dry valleys of Victoria Land, made possible by the availability of United States air transport. The Expedition's geologists, working by dog team, have greatly extended knowledge of the formation of south Victoria Land, and have made new discoveries of fossils in the Beacon Sandstone.

Although full written reports are not yet available, it is clear that great advances in our knowledge and understanding of the biology and geology of the Ross Dependency have been made by the Expedition's activities. These were discussed at a successful Antarctic Symposium held m Wellington in February under the auspices of the I.G.Y. Committee, and have also been referred to in the daily press.

N.Z. Geological Survey Expedition. In the summer of 1957–58, the New Zealand Geological Survey sent an expedition of eight geologists and surveyors, led by Dr. H. H. Harrington, to the joint United States-New Zealand base at Cape Hallet. Man-hauling inland. the expedition mapped several hundred square miles of completely unknown territory in the vicinity of the Admiralty Range, and also brought back extensive collections of lichens and some insects, which have been deposited in the Dominion Museum in terms of this Committee's recommendations on the repository of Antarctic collections This expedition marks the first independent field work of a New Zealand Government agency in the Ross Dependency.

Future Activities. With the return of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition from the field, it appears probable that the Ross Sea Committee will be wound up, and that the Antarctic Research Committee might usefully function (as originally constituted) as a continuing body to act as its executor in scientific matters. Already, however, the Prime Minister has announced the setting up of a Ross Dependency Research Committee to advise and assist the Minister in Charge of Scientific and Industrial Research in co-ordinating all New Zealand activities in the Ross Dependency. The Royal Society of New Zealand is represented, and most of the members of the Antarctic Research Committee are members of the new committee At present we see no suggestion of redundancy in the presence of two similar committees, for the Antarctic Research Committee has continuing obligations and responsibilities in respect to the scientific work of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition, and we recommend that the Committee be appointed for the year 1958-59.

Recommendations. It is recommended that the Council reappoint the Antarctic Research Committee for the ensuing year, 1958-59.

C. A. Fleming, Chairman.
R. W. Willett,, Deputy-Chairman.