Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission The meetings of the Commission 



at St. Petersburg Beach, Florida, and Biloxi, Mississippi, were well attended 

 by laboratory personnel. At the first meeting Mr. Haskell spoke on the Indus- 

 trial fishery of the northern Gulf, and at the second, a tentative program for 

 coordinated estuarine research presented to the Estuarine Technical Coordi«» 

 nating Committee was given to the Commission for study. 



U. S. Study Commission « Texas Dr. Graham and Mr. Naab attended the 



September 6 meeting of the Fish and Wildlife Collaboration Group in Fort 

 Worth, Texas, where the effects of water resource plans on estuarine fauna 

 were discussed. The Commission's final report, to be completed in the late 

 summer of 1961, will include a program of research that should be accom- 

 plished along the Texas coast to determine the effects of water resource de- 

 velopments, involving impoundments and diversions in the study area, upon 

 marine fish and shellfish of commercial importance. The program was pre- 

 pared and submitted to the Commission in July. 



Waste disposal in marine waters As the industrial complex grows the dis»» 



posal of large volumes of toxic waste materials becomes increasingly difficult. 

 During the year two large companies discussed this problem with us. Both 

 were aware of the possibilities of oceanic disposal damaging marine fauna and 

 were seeking advice. The possibility of disposal by wide dispersion from a 

 moving barge over deep waters to give desired dilution has been under study 

 by an academic research group. Also under study is the feasibility of under- 

 ground disposal into drilled wells. The companies are to be commended on 

 their desire and efforts to avoid any damage to fishery resources. 



The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Project This study, carried on by The 



Texas A. and M. Research Foundation, is nearing completion after some Z^ 

 years of intensive work. The field station at Hopedale, Louisiana, was closed 

 in April, and the final report will be completed by midsummer. The wealth 

 of data on biota in the low, medium, and high salinity areas, and the exten- 

 sive hydrographic observations will permit, perhaps for the first time, a 

 full evaluation in later years of the long-term effects of a very large-scale 

 channelization project. 



The Hurricane Protection Project for Lake Pontchartrain is related to the 

 Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Project because of the wedge of higher salinity 

 water that will enter Lake Pontchartrain along the bottom of the Gulf outlet 

 canal. Laboratory personnel have participated in three meetings in New 

 Orleans with Branch of River Basin Studies and Louisiana Wild Life and 



