68 OYSTER BOTTOMS IN VICINITY OF APALACHICOLA, FLA. 
RESUME, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 
\ 
Following is a summary of the results of the survey, with the 
conclusions and recommendations based on them: 
1. The survey covered the western portion of St. George Sound 
and all of Apalachicola Bay and St. Vincent Sound; approximate 
area, 130 square miles. 
2. The area of the oyster beds is 7,135 acres, or 11.1 square miles, 
of which about two-thirds support dense growth. 
3. It is estimated that during the season 1914-15 the contents of 
the beds were 2,627,534 bushels over 3 inches long and 500,629 
bushels of smaller ones, based on the standard bushel, which is less 
than one-half the volume of the Florida oyster tub, or so-called 
“bushel.” 
4. Bulkhead and East Hole Bars taken together contain less than 
one-fifth of the total oyster area but nearly one-half of the oyster 
content. On Bulkhead Bar many of the denser stations revealed a 
crowded condition of closely clustered raccoon oysters. 
5. The yield for the entire district for 1914-15 was about 40 per 
cent less than for the preceding season, due to the demand, for the 
supply was sufficient to meet a much larger requirement. 
6. The oysters of these waters have no aggressive enemies, and no 
diseases were observed. Physical phenomena, however, have greatly 
damaged many of the bars. 
7. St. Vincent Bar, which was showing sign of depletion, was 
closed during the latter half of the 1914-15 season by order of the 
State shellfish commissioner. Porter Bar, which has suffered de- 
pletion by storms, should be carefully guarded by the State authori- 
ties that it is not overfished; this also applies to the important bars 
in St. Vincent Sound. 
8. About 91 per cent of the total area of the district is composed of 
barren bottoms, the greater part of which is unsuited for oyster beds. 
Several favorable regions for oyster culture have already been pointed 
out. It appears that the natural development of patches and new 
beds, such as the Fish Hawk Bar, as well as the recovery of old beds 
after having been depleted by storms, freshets, or freezes, show 
good conditions and possibilities for oyster culture. 
9. The permanent triangulation points established by the United 
States Coast and Geodetic Survey, together with the few established 
by this Bureau, will be of great value and should be used in determining 
the exact location of future leased bottoms for oyster culture. A 
strict compliance with this recommendation will guarantee accuracy 
in the surveys, obviate disputes, and secure an honest and correct 
assessment of rentals. 
