178 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



sack and Passaic Rivers and Newark Bay are in such condition that 

 absohitely no fish life of any kind is in them at the present time, 

 whereas 20 years ago these waters were the habitat of all species 

 of edible fish that were native to this coast. 



The director of the department of conservation and development 

 of New Jersey stated that while his department has a general knowl- 

 edge of existing oil pollution in some of the waters bordering the 

 State it has no specific information that would be of value to the 

 present investigation. 



Dr. Thurlow C. Nelson, an authority on the culture of oysters, has 

 submitted to the authors a very complete statement. The following 

 is taken from Doctor Nelson's letter : 



* * *. The following observations include only those in which it is defi- 

 nitely known that no foreign substances other than oil were present : 



1. Oil is, gallon for gallon as thrown out, the most destructive to aquatic 

 life of all the foreign substances now entering our coastal waters. By reason 

 of its physical nature the factor of dihition, which is so important in reducing 

 the harmful effects of other foreign substances, is largely eliminated. Whereas 

 most wastes other than oil are quite uniformly distributed thi-oughout the water, 

 oil is concentrated at two points — on the surface film and at the bottom. Its 

 passage from the surface to the bottom, difficult of comprehension by the lay- 

 man, is relatively rapid and is accomplished by absorption on the surface of 

 the particles of dirt, sand, and detritus present in the water. Large amounts 

 of suspended matter are stirred up by winds and curi-ents, and these sink dur- 

 ing periods of calm and slack tidal water, carrying down to the bottom a load 

 of oil. 



Biologically, the surface and the bottom of our coastal waterst are the regions 

 of greatest activity. At the surface free interchange of oxygen and of other 

 gases occurs, and here, at some time in their development are found the eggs or 

 larval stages, or both, of many of the common fish, shellfish, and the plant and 

 animal organisms upon which the young and adults feed. Oil, though it be 

 present in only the thinnest film, is thus brought into contact with the living 

 organisms and kills them either through direct contact or through reducing 

 free oxidation, or through being taken in with the food. Such larvpe of shell- 

 fish as escape the oil at the surface will, when the time comes to attach to the 

 bottom, find this unsuitable on account of the oil which is accumulated there, 

 and will therefore perish. 



2. Laboratory experiments have shown that a film of crude oil just sufficient 

 to cover the surface will within an hour cause the death of clam and oyster 

 larvae at a temperature of 75° F. This apparently is due to the habit of these 

 organisms of feeding for short periods' at a time with the cilia of the velum 

 lashing through the surface film. Feeding experiments show that oyster larvae 

 will take into the gullet any particles of sufficient fineness, regardless of their 

 nature. 



To check these experiments we have the following field observations : Great 

 Bay, N. J., just below the town of Tuckerton, receives the waters of the Mul- 

 lica River, the largest stream within the State. Situated as they are in the 

 cedar swamps and barren regions of southern New Jersey, neither the Mullica 

 River nor Great Bay receives any sewage or industrial wastes. Aside from an 

 occasional oysterman's shack, there are no settlements on the banks of either, 

 save only a few small settlements near the headwaters of the river many 

 miles above the oyster beds. A large menhaden-oil plant is located on Seven 

 Islands in the eastern part of Great Bay about 2 miles west of New Inlet 

 (Little Egg Harbor Inlet). Until the war this plant was operated in such a 

 manner as to cause no effect on the surrounding waters. From time to time 

 excellent sets of oysters occurred within a short distance of the factory, and 

 sets in the channel below Seven Islands were freciuent. 



Following the outbreak of the war, late in 1917, this plant began to receive 

 garbage from Atlantic City, which was towed there on great scows. These 

 were anchored alongside the factory somttimes for days, during which, in 

 warm weather especially, large quantities of oil and grease flowed overboard. 

 At times the surface of Great Bay was covered by so heavy a film of oil that 

 <iystermen and clammers had difficulty in holding the stales of their tongs, they 



