The benthic ecology of False Bay, with notes on the analysis of shallow-water soft substrata ; The benthic ecology of False Bay : with notes on the analysis of shallow-water soft substrata

This work continues the marine tradition of the Department of Zoology but attempts to open-up a new field by tackling for the first time the ecology of the shallow sea bed. False Bay is accessible and provides a large area that is virtually unaffected by rivers or the works of man. Its situation happens to be particularly interesting. It is the nearest part of the flat, submarine shelf called the Agulhas Bank, where there are valuable fishing grounds; and it lies at the boundary of two very different masses of water. Study of False Bay should, in addition, be of interest in throwing light on the contrast between the shallows of the sea and those of lagoons and estuaries. Field work started with dredging from hired fishing boats. It was soon obvious that one of the most important regions of the sea was escaping notice, that above the shallowest depth in which dredges could be worked and below low tide level. This region could only be studied by diving and so a programme of diving with frogman kit was started. Dredging and diving meant considerable training in non-academic techniques not only in the field but in designing new gear (eg. dredges, underwater camera and underwater electronic flash).