THE U. S. FISHERIES STEAMER ALBATROSS. 7 



I. EXPLORATIONS ON THE CALIFORNIA COAST. 



In the interest of a comprehensive scheme for the study of the 

 marine biology of southern California a , undertaken by the Bureau 

 of Fisheries in cooperation with Stanford University and the Uni- 

 versity of California, the steamer Albatross on March 1, 1904, began 

 investigations in the vicinity of San Diego. The work was continued 

 in this region until April 15, and then, after an interval, was renewed 

 in Monterey Bay, where it was conducted from May 10 until June 15. 

 The investigations included the occupation of 139 collecting stations 

 and substations and 15 hydrographic stations, all in the region south of 

 Point Conception; and 12S collecting stations in Monterey Bay — a 

 total of 282 accepted stations. 6 In addition to these the tables show 

 the records of 2 collecting and 1 sounding station made in September, 

 1904, on the Farallone Plateau, off the entrance to San Francisco. 



Trials with various forms of apparatus were made for bottom 

 material at 127 stations in the southern region, and at 129 stations 

 in Monterey Bay, or 256 in all; only 11 stations were occupied for other 

 collecting work. At 69 stations in the first part of the work more than 

 one form of collecting apparatus was employed ; and in the second part 

 58 stations were made where two or more styles of gear were used. 



In accordance with recent practices of the Bureau, at nearly all 

 collecting stations several soundings were taken to develop any 

 changes in the depth, but only those essential to show such changes 

 are tabulated in the records. 



Losses of apparatus and accidents were not unusual, but not more 

 than might well be expected considering the character of some of the 

 bottom worked over, which, particularly in the vicinity of the islands 

 off the southern coast, is extremely rugged and uneven. 



In addition to investigations of purely scientific interest, the work 

 of the vessel included the development of a number of fishing banks 

 hitherto only locally known. A rocky shoal or ledge was located off 

 the San Diego coast, and was named, for the fisherman acting as guide, 

 Cabral Bank. A number of banks and ledges m Monterey Bay, all 

 good rockfish (rock cod) grounds, were developed and charted. Off 

 Point Santa Cruz is a small area called Rock Oyster Bank; an 

 extensive rocky ledge, called Black Point Reef, extends entirely 

 across the harbor of Santa Cruz; off Sauquel Point is a ledge called 

 Sauquel Reef. About midway between Sauquel Cove and the mouth 

 of the Pajaro River, parallel to the shore and about a mile distant, is a 



a See Keport of the Commissioner of Fisheries for 1904, p. 107. 



b The last previous stations occupied by the Albatross, D. 4302 and H. 4788, August 24, 

 1903, were in Southeast Alaska, where the vessel was engaged in an investigation of the 

 condition and needs of the Alaska salmon fisheries. The tabulated records of that cruise 

 are published in the Report of the U. S. Fish Commission for 1903, pp. 123-138. 



