30 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
July; the Pelican for a brief period during August and Launch 58 
continuously, for tagging purposes. 
Through the cooperation of Dr. R. Dana Russell, School of Geol- 
ogy, Louisiana State University, the bottom-core and mud samples 
collected with the Pelican are being examined. In addition to an 
analysis of the chemical and physical characteristics of the bottom 
deposits by Dr. Russell, the Foraminifera, Bryozoa, and Ostracoda 
will be identified by Drs. Howe and McGuirt of the School of 
Geology. Through Dr. H. N. Fisk, Louisiana State University, the 
molluse collections are being identified. The salinity samples are 
being analyzed by Professor Albert E. Parr, of the Bingham 
Oceanographic Institute. 
With the interruption of the Texas work, field operations have 
been restricted to exploratory work with the Pelican in the offshore 
waters of the Gulf and tagging experiments with Launch 58. M. J. 
Lindner and W. W. Anderson conducted the studies made with the 
Pelican and Albert Collier of the Texas Game, Fish, and Oyster 
Commission assisted during the Texas cruise. C. H. Baltzo has 
been conducting the Gulf tagging experiments. From June 17 to 
December 9 Mr. Lindner was detailed to Mexico to assist the Mexi- 
can Government in some of their fishery problems. 
Messrs. Lindner and Anderson examined and identified the entire 
collection of penaeid shrimps collected with the Pelican in the Gulf 
of Mexico. This collection contained 16 species of Penaeidae, only 
4 of which ever enter the commercial fishery. One, the common 
shrimp (Penaeus setiferus), comprises at least 95 percent of the 
commercial catch, and all discussion in this report refers to that 
species. 
Information of considerable value was made available during 
1939 by the publication entitled, “The early life histories of some 
American Penaeidae, chiefly the commercial shrimp Penaeus setiferus 
(Linn.)”, by John C. Pearson. 
OFFSHORE OPERATIONS 
Because of the constantly increasing drain on the shrimp popu- 
lation it is particularly important to know whether or not there is 
a reserve supply of shrimp available beyond the range of the pres- 
ent commercial fishery. The recently developed fishery off the 
Louisiana coast is a direct result of the studies carried on by these 
investigations. The possible discovery of additional and similar 
concentration areas will prove of immediate economic importance 
to the industry. If such additional areas do not exist it is of both 
biological and economic significance to know this fact. Future 
expansion of this fishery will depend appreciably on the presence 
or absence of additional virgin fishing grounds, and no well-founded 
management can be attempted without complete knowledge pertain- 
ing to the distribution of the shrimp and the limits of its range. 
The possibility of an offshore spawning reserve can be determined 
only by fishing in depths greater than those now exploited by the 
fishing boats. 
In an attempt to solve these problems the Pelican was used between 
January 14 and March 15, 1939, to explore the area between the beach 
