24 OYSTER BOTTOMS OF MISSISSIPPI EAST OP BILOXI. 



Summarized Content op Market Oysters on Public Beds. 



Fifty-four per cent, or 63,871 bushels of the larger oysters dis- 

 closed by the survey were found in the region adjacent to the mouth 

 of Pascagoula River. Of these, 24,373 bushels were in dense growth, 

 13,055 bushels scattering, 23.776 bushels very scattering, and 2,667 

 bushels on the depleted bottom. The remaining 54,368 bushels, 

 constituting about 46 per cent of the total, were in Biloxi Bay, where 

 25,830 bushels occurred as dense growth, 16,773 bushels as scattering, 

 10,735 bushels as very scattering, and but 1,030 bushels were on the 

 so-called depleted bottom. 



The average product per acre on the beds near Pascagoula River 

 was 221 bushels on the dense, 113 bushels on the scattering, 45 

 bushels on the very scattering, and 7 bushels on the depleted bottoms. 



In Biloxi Bay the averages are 249 bushels per acre on the dense 

 growth, 117 bushels on the scattering, 48 bushels on the very scatter- 

 ing, and 9 bushels on the depleted bottom. It is therefore evident 

 that the oysters on the areas classed as very scattering and de- 

 pleted are so sparsely distributed that they are at present negligible 

 commercially on account of the time and labor which would be 

 involved in tonging them. About 72 per cent of the oyster pro- 

 ducmg bottom is, therefore, to be regarded as of no present producing 

 value. The remaining 28 per cent of the area of the beds produces 

 oysters in sufficient quantity to warrant a fishery if size only is 

 considered, but many of the oysters are so badly clustered and so 

 inferior m quality that they have very little value. This is partic- 

 ularly the case on Scranton and West Pascagoula Reefs. 



The only good oysters seen in that vicinity were m the deep water 

 of Pascagoula River, where singles and small clusters are taken in 

 limited quantity. In BUoxi Bay not only is the average productive- 

 ness of the dense and scattered growth greater, but the areas of these 

 growths are greater in proportion to the total extent of the beds, and 

 the oysters are of somewhat better quality. 



