﻿200 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  southwest 
  Stations, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  short 
  space 
  of 
  time 
  available. 
  

   The 
  ebb 
  and 
  flow 
  of 
  the 
  tides, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  force 
  and 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  

   wind, 
  seemed 
  to 
  affect 
  the 
  densities 
  to 
  a 
  very 
  small 
  degree 
  at 
  the 
  main 
  

   station, 
  which 
  was 
  about 
  half 
  way 
  between 
  Apalachicola 
  and 
  Green 
  

   Point. 
  Oft' 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  the 
  density 
  was 
  affected 
  by 
  the 
  wind 
  

   considerably, 
  a 
  northerly 
  wind 
  bringing 
  low 
  densities. 
  

  

  Observations 
  were 
  taken 
  to 
  establish 
  the 
  relation 
  between 
  the 
  surface 
  

   and 
  the 
  bottom 
  densities 
  and 
  temperatures, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  that 
  no 
  

   appreciable 
  difference 
  existed; 
  therefore, 
  in 
  taking 
  the 
  observations, 
  a 
  

   mean 
  depth 
  was 
  generally 
  used. 
  This 
  uniformity 
  is 
  explained 
  by 
  the 
  

   fact 
  of 
  the 
  shoalness 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  In 
  the 
  eastern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bay 
  the 
  

   density 
  and 
  temperature 
  observations 
  were 
  carried 
  through 
  considerable 
  

   periods, 
  and 
  the 
  results 
  may 
  be 
  thoroughly 
  relied 
  upon. 
  The 
  densities 
  

   decrease 
  from 
  the 
  southern 
  shore 
  towards 
  the 
  northern 
  shore, 
  until, 
  in 
  

   East 
  Bay 
  and 
  in 
  Shoal 
  ]>ayou 
  and 
  Alligator 
  Bayou, 
  the 
  densities 
  show 
  

   tlie 
  water 
  fresh. 
  In 
  these 
  bodies 
  of 
  water 
  no 
  oysters 
  are 
  found. 
  

  

  The 
  currnits. 
  — 
  The 
  currents 
  of 
  the 
  bay 
  are 
  moderate 
  in 
  velocity, 
  but 
  

   are 
  sufticient 
  to 
  furnish 
  an 
  abundant 
  food 
  supply 
  to 
  the 
  oysters. 
  On 
  

   account 
  of 
  the 
  shoal 
  water 
  they 
  depend 
  for 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  their 
  set 
  

   on 
  the 
  winds. 
  Heavy 
  easterly 
  or 
  northerly 
  winds 
  drive 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  

   the 
  bay 
  before 
  them, 
  without 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  ebb 
  or 
  flow 
  of 
  the 
  tide, 
  and 
  

   sometimes 
  cause 
  currents 
  of 
  considerable 
  velocity. 
  The 
  heavy 
  north- 
  

   ers 
  drive 
  the 
  water 
  out 
  through 
  the 
  passes 
  with 
  considerable 
  velocity, 
  

   and 
  southerly 
  gales 
  cause 
  strong 
  northerly 
  currents 
  in 
  them, 
  in 
  both 
  

   cases 
  Avithout 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  normal 
  ebb 
  ami 
  flow 
  of 
  the 
  tides. 
  

  

  At 
  a 
  i)Osition 
  about 
  l.l 
  miles 
  southeast 
  uf 
  (Jreen 
  I'oint, 
  the 
  ebb 
  cur 
  

   rent 
  runs 
  to 
  the 
  westward 
  and 
  the 
  flood 
  current 
  to 
  the 
  eastward, 
  the 
  

   velocity 
  in 
  each 
  case 
  varying 
  from 
  half 
  a 
  knot, 
  in 
  light 
  breezes, 
  to 
  

   1^ 
  knots 
  or 
  more 
  in 
  strong 
  winds. 
  

  

  Off" 
  the 
  beacon, 
  at 
  the 
  entrance 
  to 
  the 
  dredged 
  channel 
  to 
  Apalachi- 
  

   cola, 
  the 
  current 
  is 
  just 
  the 
  opposite 
  in 
  the 
  corresponding 
  directions 
  of 
  

   ebb 
  and 
  flood; 
  here 
  ebb 
  current 
  sets 
  to 
  the 
  eastward 
  and 
  flood 
  to 
  the 
  

   westward. 
  In 
  calm 
  weather 
  each 
  current 
  runs 
  about 
  half 
  a 
  knot 
  an 
  

   hour. 
  There 
  are 
  times 
  when 
  a 
  greater 
  rise 
  and 
  fall 
  of 
  the 
  tides 
  give 
  a 
  

   southerly 
  and 
  northerly 
  direction 
  to 
  the 
  ebb 
  and 
  flow 
  respectively. 
  In 
  

   strong 
  westerly 
  gales 
  the 
  current 
  runs 
  from 
  3 
  to 
  4 
  knots 
  an 
  hour 
  to 
  the 
  

   eastward, 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  wind 
  continues 
  strong. 
  

  

  Off" 
  buoy 
  No. 
  8, 
  between 
  Cat 
  Point 
  and 
  the 
  beacon, 
  the 
  flood 
  runs 
  to 
  

   westward 
  and 
  the 
  ebb 
  to 
  eastward. 
  

  

  At 
  a 
  position 
  about 
  three-fourths 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  to 
  the 
  southward 
  of 
  Cat 
  

   Point, 
  the 
  flood 
  runs 
  to 
  the 
  westward 
  and 
  the 
  northward, 
  and 
  the 
  ebb 
  

   to 
  the 
  eastward 
  and 
  southward; 
  the 
  currents 
  have 
  an 
  average 
  flow 
  of 
  

   about 
  1 
  knot 
  an 
  hour. 
  These, 
  of 
  course, 
  are 
  the 
  average 
  currents 
  

   under 
  normal 
  conditions. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  southern 
  side 
  of 
  tlie 
  bay, 
  off" 
  Cedar 
  Point, 
  the 
  flood 
  runs 
  to 
  

   the 
  westward 
  and 
  the 
  ebb 
  to 
  the 
  eastward, 
  each 
  with 
  an 
  average 
  velocity 
  

   of 
  half 
  a 
  knot 
  per 
  hour. 
  The 
  same 
  general 
  rule 
  seems 
  to 
  apply 
  to 
  the 
  

  

  