OYSTEE BOTTOMS OF MISSISSIPPI EAST OP BILOXI. 



23 



are near the southeastern end of Deer Island, and the western and 

 eastern beds, respectively, above the railroad bridge. In addition 

 there are a number of small patches below the railroad bridge, the 

 largest of which is believed to be a public planted bed. Altogether 

 there are in BUoxi Bay about 582 acres of oyster bottom, of which 

 102 acres are classed as dense, 143 as scattering, 222 as very scatter- 

 ing, and 115 as depleted. Of the entire area of 1,708 acres of natural 

 oyster bottom located by the survey, 13 per cent is covered by a dense 

 growth of oysters of marketable size, 15 per cent by a scattering 

 growth, 44 per cent by a very scattering growth, and 28 per cent is 

 depleted or very deficient in such oysters. 



The following table summarizes the distribution of the oysters on 

 the several beds: 



Summarized Statement of Areas of Market Oysters on Public Beds. 



It should be understood that the foregoing classification in respect 

 to relative density of oyster growth is based solely on the quantity 

 of oysters 3 inches or more in length irrespective of the quantity of 

 small oysters present. The classification, furthermore, represents 

 the condition at the time of examination and the several classes may 

 and undoubtedly will undergo redistribution from time to time. 

 The areas of dense growth may become less productive from over- 

 fishing or other causes while a heavy set of spat may bring the lower 

 classes into increased productivity and raise them a step higher in 

 the scale. In some cases the number of young oysters on the beds 

 at the time of examination was sufficient to produce this effect in 

 the following year. On the whole, however, the general conditions 

 shown in this report, barring accidents, should be maintained for a 

 period of years. The estimated total content of oysters over 3 

 inches long on the several parts of the different beds is shown in the 

 table following. 



