﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  21 
  

  

  ing- 
  deep-water 
  fisheries 
  in 
  that 
  locality. 
  Though 
  interruptions 
  were 
  

   experienced 
  from 
  severe 
  winds, 
  considerable 
  progress 
  was 
  made. 
  The 
  

   region 
  covered 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  hard 
  sandy 
  bottom 
  with 
  little 
  animal 
  life, 
  

   and 
  on 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream 
  a 
  scarcity 
  of 
  life 
  was 
  observable. 
  

   About 
  20 
  miles 
  south-southwest 
  of 
  Beaufort, 
  however, 
  an 
  important 
  

   fishing 
  ground 
  was 
  located 
  and 
  surveyed; 
  fishing 
  trials 
  showed 
  an 
  

   abundance 
  of 
  sea 
  bass 
  and 
  other 
  desirable 
  food 
  fishes. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  season 
  at 
  the 
  Beaufort 
  laboratory, 
  after 
  under- 
  

   g'oing 
  necessar}^ 
  repairs 
  at 
  Savannah, 
  the 
  vessel 
  sailed 
  from 
  that 
  port 
  

   November 
  22 
  for 
  Ke}^ 
  West, 
  Fla., 
  to 
  continue 
  her 
  previous 
  work 
  on 
  

   the 
  sponge 
  grounds 
  of 
  Florida. 
  The 
  scope 
  of 
  this 
  is 
  outlined 
  in 
  the 
  

   last 
  report, 
  and 
  this 
  year 
  the 
  investigation 
  embraced 
  the 
  keys 
  from 
  

   Boco 
  Grande 
  Channel 
  to 
  Cape 
  Florida, 
  and 
  the 
  "New 
  Ground" 
  

   extending 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  keys 
  to 
  Cape 
  Sable. 
  Work 
  was 
  begun 
  Decem- 
  

   ber 
  4, 
  lines 
  of 
  soundings 
  and 
  dredging 
  being 
  run 
  over 
  the 
  region 
  to 
  

   be 
  developed, 
  with 
  stations 
  every 
  3 
  miles 
  out 
  to 
  the 
  5-fathom 
  curve. 
  

   All 
  classes 
  of 
  sponges 
  are 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  New 
  Ground, 
  and 
  good 
  fares 
  

   are 
  taken 
  when 
  the 
  fishermen 
  can 
  find 
  the 
  water 
  suflBciently 
  clear 
  to 
  

   work. 
  The 
  ground 
  to 
  the 
  southeast 
  of 
  Cape 
  Sable 
  is 
  considered 
  good, 
  

   but 
  there 
  are 
  considerable 
  expanses 
  of 
  ])arren 
  sandy 
  bottom. 
  The 
  

   investigations 
  were 
  continued 
  along 
  the 
  known 
  sponge 
  grounds 
  among 
  

   the 
  keys 
  and 
  channels 
  eastward 
  to 
  Cape 
  Florida. 
  These 
  were 
  com- 
  

   pleted 
  March 
  12, 
  when 
  lines 
  of 
  soundings 
  and 
  dredgings 
  were 
  begun 
  

   off 
  shore 
  in 
  the 
  vicinit}^ 
  of 
  Fowe}^ 
  Rocks 
  and 
  Cape 
  Florida 
  to 
  deter- 
  

   mine 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  fauna 
  of 
  that 
  region 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  

   Gulf 
  Stream. 
  These 
  investigations 
  were 
  not 
  completed 
  when 
  it 
  became 
  

   necessary 
  for 
  the 
  vessel 
  to 
  proceed 
  north 
  to 
  take 
  up 
  the 
  usual 
  shad 
  

   hatching 
  on 
  the 
  Delaware 
  River, 
  She 
  sailed 
  from 
  Miami 
  April 
  6, 
  

   arriving 
  at 
  Gloucester 
  City, 
  N. 
  J., 
  April 
  10. 
  The 
  shad 
  work 
  con- 
  

   tinued 
  till 
  June 
  19. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  remedy 
  defects 
  incident 
  to 
  the 
  wear 
  and 
  tear 
  of 
  long 
  

   service, 
  considerable 
  repairs 
  to 
  the 
  machinery 
  were 
  found 
  advisable, 
  

   including 
  the 
  installation 
  of 
  new 
  pumps; 
  and 
  certain 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  

   decks 
  and 
  beams 
  needed 
  to 
  be 
  replaced. 
  This 
  work 
  is 
  now 
  in 
  prog- 
  

   ress 
  and 
  will 
  add 
  to 
  the 
  eflaciency 
  of 
  the 
  vessel 
  and 
  the 
  economy 
  of 
  

   operating 
  her. 
  

  

  The 
  Fish 
  Ilaiok 
  has 
  continued 
  under 
  the 
  command 
  of 
  Boatswain 
  

   J. 
  A. 
  Smith, 
  U. 
  S. 
  Navy, 
  retired, 
  whose 
  long 
  and 
  faithful 
  service 
  on 
  

   the 
  vessel 
  has 
  been 
  invaluable 
  to 
  the 
  Commission. 
  

  

  Sdiooner 
  Grampus. 
  — 
  The 
  Grampus 
  is 
  an 
  important 
  adjunct 
  of 
  the 
  

   marine 
  fish-cultural 
  operations 
  in 
  New 
  England, 
  and 
  under 
  the 
  efficient 
  

   command 
  of 
  Mr. 
  E. 
  E. 
  Hahn 
  has 
  rendered 
  most 
  valuable 
  service 
  under 
  

   conditions 
  involving 
  much 
  discomfort 
  and 
  exposure. 
  During 
  the 
  

   early 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  fiscal 
  year 
  this 
  vessel 
  was 
  engaged 
  in 
  collecting 
  egg- 
  

   bearing 
  lobsters 
  on 
  the 
  Maine 
  coast 
  to 
  supply 
  the 
  hatchery 
  at 
  Glou- 
  

  

  