PROGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL INQUIRIES, 1926 597 
its habits. I heard nothing about the study of its environment, which 
is absolutely necessary for understanding biological factors. One 
thing particularly refers to the environment in which our fish and 
other marine organisms live. That is the question of pollution. _ 
Everybody who has had experience in the work of the Bureau of 
Fisheries knows that sooner or later, directly or indirectly, this 
question certainly is brought to his attention. The question of pol- 
lution has two aspects. One is sanitary, which I regard as outside 
the scope of the bureau. That is up to the health department, to 
determine whether the oyster we are eating is safe. The pollution 
kills the marine organisms or makes them unpalatable. In this way, 
certainly, it is a primary question for the Bureau of Fisheries to de- 
cide. The question of pollution is certainly complex. It is not a 
State affair. It very soon will be an international question. So far 
it is not, but maybe in 20 or 25 years, with the development of sea 
communication, it will be international. It seems to me the study of 
pollution, or the effect of pollution on marine organisms, certainly 
must be put on the program of the scientific investigation of the 
Bureau of Fisheries. If I am allowed to make this remark at present, 
I think we have no special laboratory. or agency, or organization to 
go into this situation, and so really the question is neglected. 
We have found from our experience in the oyster division, say, 
that probably every third or fourth oyster comes directly in contact 
with pollution. Then there is a question of oysters along the Con- 
necticut shores—the question of why the oysters become unpalatable, 
and so on—because of domestic sewage pollution, trade wastage, and 
oil pollution. 
It probably requires the joint efforts of both the economist and 
the biologist. JT wish only to call your attention to these facts, 
which probably are not known in a general way. I looked into 
the records of the New York Metropolitan Sewage Commission and. 
found that New York discharges about 1,000,000,000 gallons of 
sewage daily into the water. The theory that this is carried out to 
the ocean is wrong. It just washes back and forth within 15 or 20 
miles and stays right there. Notwithstanding the activity of the 
Public Health Service to secure strict enforcement of strict regulations 
with reference to oysters, we have the following situation: Last 
year we went to the localities that looked to be safe from any pollu- 
tion. The request was to show to Georgia State officials the grounds 
suitable for oyster cultivation. The Public Health Service made a 
survey at the same time. I found, to my great disappointment, that 
all the best localities, the most suitable for the cultivation of the 
oyster, were condemned by the Public Health Service. It would 
take too long to discuss the reasons for condemnation, but I didn’t 
thnk they were reasons to condemn, because I questioned the 
methods of this survey, which was made during the tremendous 
flood. But still there are certain areas in the South, far from 
obvious pollution, which can possibly be polluted and are not suit- 
able for the production of oysters. 
I saw, in the Gulf of Mexico, thousands of acres of grounds bear- 
ing good oysters that are entirely unpalatable. They are polluted 
by oil and acquire a little oily taste, which makes them absolutely 
