HJTRODUCTION 



T>ie continental shelf in the region of Cape Hatteras is a sub- 

 merged plain 20 to 75 miles broad; sloping gradually from the da ore 

 until a depth of 50 to 100 fathoms is reached. Beyond the 50 to 100 

 fathom zone there is a more abrupt drop in the ocean bed so that 

 depths of 300 to 4-00 fathoms are recorded 5 to 10 miles beyond the 

 edge of the shelf north of Capre Hatteras and 15 to 20 miles beyond 

 the shelf south of Cape Hatteras. Beyond this is a region of still 

 deeper water extending down to the great depths of the ocean* 



The continental shelf from Cape Hatteras southward may harbor 

 a supply of fish vdiich is not fully utilized, especially since at 

 least 60 percent of the shelf is unknoim to the comjnercial fi sher- 

 men of the area. Fishermen of North Carolina have been unmlling 

 to risk trying new bottom beyond the narrovir strip of the shelf 

 within the 20-fabhom line T.hich is familiar to them. Consequently, 

 these stocks of fish may be umasely exploited - too much of it 

 being taken near shore and none of it offshore. 



The offshore grounds^ hOTiever, have been partially explored. A 

 ivinter trawl fishery for croakers in advance of the regular season 

 led several New Jersey flounder cra^^jors to Cape Hatteras tn 1920. 

 (Pearson, 193'4)«2/ These small draggers, accompanied by several 

 small; shallow-draft, oyster- or crab— dredge boats from Virginia, 

 were imable to extend the fishery far out to sea because of their 

 small capacity and their construction, -By the -.rinter of 1928-1929> 

 hovrever, se"/eral larger vessels from New England fishing ports, 

 equipped to trawl in the deep offshore iraters, v/ere concentrating 

 their fishing efforts in the vicinity of Cape Hatteras, The number 

 of vessels engaged in this ivinter trawl fishers'- increased to about 

 50 in 1931 and to about 100 in 1934. (Nesbit and Neville, 1935). 



During the vmiter of 1930-1931 this trawl fisherj-- vras concen- 

 trated in tiTO areas (Pearson, 1932). The first, north of Cape Hatteras, 

 extended roughly from latitudes 35 50' to 37'^!. and from longitudes 

 74° 50 » to 75° 30' ¥. in depths ranging from 20 to 50 fathoms. The 

 second area, south of Cape ilatteras, vfas enclosed on the north and 

 south "by latitudes 34° 50' to 35" 50* N. and on the east and west hy 

 longitudes 75° 20' to 76° 10' 7if» (Figure l). These fishing grounds 

 extended from 3 to 30 miles offshore in water from 10 to 30 fathoms 



Pab]ications referred to parenthetically by author and date are 

 listed in the Literature Cited, page 20 



