Notes on dredging in the Great Bitter Lake of the Suez Canal

INTRODUCTION In the summer of 1950, the present writer spent a three weeks' holiday dredging in the Great Bitter Lake. Plans to collect specimens in that area for the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie at Leiden had, unfortunately, to be drawn up somewhat hurriedly, but at least the most essential equipment was complete by the beginning of the writer's stay at Fayed, on the western shore of the Lake. Between August 18th and September 5th, the Great Bitter Lake was explored as well as possible under the circumstances. The investigation discussed below was, as is fully realised, of a limited character; it consisted almost exclusively of operations for collecting marine organisms, though on a fairly large scale. However, it was considered preferable to do the work with the means available rather than let this chance slip for want of ideal circumstances, the more so because no extensive exploration of the bottom fauna of the Bitter Lake had ever been carried out in the past. The discovery of a few distinct plant zones in the Lake will, it is hoped, add to the ecological interest of the collections made. To Mr. J. Doorn, of the Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields Ltd., the writer owes many thanks for the able manufacture of a most serviceable marine dredge. The Compagnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de Suez kindly made available a detailed hydrographic map of the Great Bitter Lake. The writer is also much indebted to Miss Dr. J. Th. Koster, Rijksherbarium, Leiden, for the identification of the collected plants. BRIEF COMMENTS ON THE ISTHMUS OF SUEZ The excavation of the Suez Canal has added much interest to the manifold problem of the extent of intermingling between marine faunal provinces,