132 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVAL SERVICE 



6 GEORGE V, A. 1916 



grass, and dries for a short distance out, but near the entrance it is rocky and some- 

 what deeper with plenty of algae present. Such animals as sea-urchins, which are 

 usually found in the strong current or where there is a good interchange of water, 

 are here in plenty. Plankton taken at half-tide on August 14 showed an abundance 

 of copepods, cladocera, nauplii, larval ascidians, mollusc eggs, and smaller numbers 

 of several other groups. This lagoon is separated from the Nanaimo river by but a 

 constricted neck of land, through which a narrow passage is cut for row-boats. To see 

 if the Nanaimo river would have any material effect on the water of the lagoon, some 

 samples were taken on October 19, when the river was high from heavy rains. These 

 were taken just at the end of ebb-tide, so that the water from the strait would have 

 the least effect in backing up the water of the river. In Northumberland channel, 

 outside of the lagoon, the surface density was 1-0216, in the lagoon it was 1-0207, 

 while on the Nanaimo river side of the neck of land at the entrance to the boat 

 passage the density was only 1-0014. As the passage is narrow and out of the line of 

 the Nanaimo river current, it would seem that little fresh water passes through. 



None of these locations are entirely ideal, but they seem to be the best available. 

 Some of the locations in the area east of Saanich peninsula seem as good as these, 

 but without exception all of them are occupied, at least in the summer when the 

 campers get out along the shore to take advantage of all the suitable protected spots. 



15. Summary. 



Three attempts to introduce lobsters into British Columbia waters have been 

 made by the Canadian Department of Fisheries, and numerous similar attempts have 

 been made in the Pacific waters farther sovith by the United States Bureau of 

 Fisheries. It is not known if any of these attempts have been successful, since there 

 has been no system of control or continued observation in connection with the experi- 

 ments. Further attempts of a similar nature are not liable to give any better results. 

 It would seem to be worth while to know definitely if transplanted lobsters will thrive 

 as the price of lobsters has very materially increased in recent years on account of 

 the decrease of the supply. On the east coast of Vancouver island, and in all prob- 

 ability in many other places, there is a large area that apparently is very suitable for 

 lobster habitat. 



If another attempt at transplanting is made, such control of the experiment 

 should be exercised as to decide definitely, one way or the other, as to its success. 

 Two ways to make it possible are suggested. The one is to transplant a large number 

 of lobsters into a large, although somewhat isolated area, where they would have 

 conditions as nearly natural as possible, and hence in no way inclosed. The other is 

 to transplant a smaller number into some inlet, with a barrier across the entrance 

 of sufiicient strength to last for years, and yet provided with means of constant linter- 

 chauge with the water out in the open. In either case, the lobsters should be under 

 daily observation for at least two years, to see if seed lobsters would spawn again, or 

 better still for six or eight years to see if young lobsters hatched in the first year 

 would mature and propagate. 



