(4) Can the damage be eliminated, lessened, or minimized? 



An attempt was made to answer these four qu&stions in the compilation of 

 the data presented in the pages following. 



Methods 



(1) Compilation of data pertaining to the Patuxent River fishery. 

 Records of the licensed commercial fishery of the entire State have 



been collected by the Department of Research and Education since 1944. The 

 catches of all species of fish by gear, area, and month, and the catch by month 

 of four major species were tabulated for the period 1944-53. 



During the summer months of 1952 the Department of Research and 

 Education conducted an intensive survey of the sport fishery of the Patuxent 

 River from Solomons to Benedict, an area approximately 20 miles in length 

 extending above and below the test area. These data were reviewed and summar- 

 ized. 



(2) Explosive test observations . 



The observations on which the study is based were made by the 

 staff of the Department of Research and Education, using in most instances 

 Departmental boats . Occasionally, Navy craft were employed, but similar 

 observatioral techniques were employed. 



Nearly all of the tests were conducted in one area in the river (fig. 1). 

 To increase the validity of the study, and to aid in interpreting seasonal 

 changes, results of the small number of explosions observed in other localities 

 are not included in the seasonal analyses, but are presented as supplementary 

 data. 



The test site was entered immediately after the explosion, and as many 

 as possible of the dead or injured fish floating at the surface were collected. 

 These were identified, counted, and weired, and the data recorded. Data 

 pertaining to weight of the explosive used and the depth at which the charge 

 was detonated were obtained from the Navy. Depth of water, time, tidal phase, 

 and weather conditions were recorded by the observer. 



Results 



Examination of records of the commercial fishery of the Patuxent River 

 for the period 1944-53 show trends which follow generally the pattern of the 

 Chesapeake Bay fishery. No decline has occurred which has not been evident 

 in other areas supporting similar fisheries, and in which no explosive test 

 programs have been conducted. 



