REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES 

 BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY, GALVESTON, TEXAS 



Fiscal Year 1969 



ABSTRACT 



Progress of research is reported. Emphasis is on shrimp, and the research 

 involves the fields of mariculture, population dynamics, ecology, and oceanography. 



REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 



General 



Research at this Laboratory is designed to 

 provide the information on shrimp that is 

 essential for the development of the resource. 

 State agencies responsible for the discrete use 

 of our natural resources can apply this in- 

 formation to ensure an optimun-i sustainable 

 harvest of penaeid shrimp from U.S. waters. 

 Our biologists study shrimp stocks in the Gulf 

 of Mexico--the source of about 70 percent of 

 the total U.S. catch in 1968. 



The three commercial species of shrimp of 

 nnost importance are the white, Penaeus seti - 

 ferus ; brown, _P. aztecus aztecus , and pink, 

 P^. duorarum duorarum . shrimp. These three 

 species have similar life histories, but the 

 environment inhabited by the several life 

 stages dictates a varied approach to a com- 

 plete understanding of the life cycle. As adults 

 and larvae, the shrimp inhabit waters over 

 the Continental Shelf, but as postlarvae and 

 juveniles they live in estuarine waters, which 

 are being altered constantly by man. 



Progress in general research on shrinnp 

 over the past few years has made it possible 

 for us to divert our efforts into areas of 

 specific problems. One example is our in- 

 vestigation into the feasibility of shrimp mari- 

 culture. Our four programs- -Shrimp Biology 

 (Mariculture), Shrimp Dynamics, Estuarine, 

 and Gulf Oceanography--are seemingly di- 

 versified, but emphasis remains on shrimp. 

 Progress made in each of these programs 

 constitutes the bulk of this report. 



Laboratory Facilities 



The contract let by the U.S. Army Corps of 

 Engineers to a local contractor in Galveston, 

 Tex., for the rehabilitation of the buildings at 

 the BCF (Bureau of Commercial Fisheries) 

 Biological Laboratory was completed on sched- 

 ule (June 1968 through March 1969). Chipped 

 concrete on the masonry buildings was re- 

 paired, and the buildings were sandblasted. 



Seven porches in three masonry buildings were 

 enclosed to provide additional storage space. 

 Wooden buildings were sanded and necessary 

 repairs were made. All buildings received two 

 coats of white paint and were trimmed inbrown. 

 The main entrances to Buildings 302 and 306 

 were provided with glass-enclosed vestibules, 

 and aluminum outside blinds for storm protec- 

 tion were installed on five buildings. The cost 

 to repair one wooden building was prohibitive, 

 and the building was demolished. Plans are 

 being made to use the 4,000-ft. basement of 

 the denaolished building as part of a prototype 

 shrinnp hatchery. 



Equipment has arrived for a sea-water sys- 

 tenn that will provide constant-flowing water 

 of controlled temperature. Installation is under 

 way, and the system will be operating in fall 

 1969. 



Laboratory Activities 



Laboratory personnel were hosts to the 

 Meeting of the Southwest Field Committee on 

 November 7, 1968. About 50 people, repre- 

 senting 12 agencies and 8 States, attended the 

 meeting. Each Program Leader at the Labora- 

 tory described his program activities. 



Reed S. Arn-istrong participated in a 3-week 

 biological investigation of the upwelling zone 

 on the rich anchovy fishing grounds along the 

 coast of central and southern Peru. The cruise 

 was made with the R/V Thonnas G. Thompson 

 by the University of Washington. 



An American Broadcasting Company team 

 completed a filnn on shrimp culture and 

 estuary seeding with the cooperation of nnem- 

 bers of the BCF Field Station in Miami and 

 Robert E. Stevenson, Assistant Laboratory 

 Director, Galveston. 



In addition to carrying on research, many 

 nnembers of the staff lectured to academic or 

 civic groups, attended scientific meetings, 

 received additional training, or participated in 

 workshops. By activity, the total nunnber that 

 participated is as follows: 



Lectures - 11 Training - 30 



Scientific meetings - 10 Workshops - 17 



