﻿342 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  nudersizetl 
  spoiiiics; 
  to 
  permit 
  the 
  Florida 
  Keys 
  and 
  Biscayne 
  Bay 
  

   grounds 
  to 
  be 
  fished 
  only 
  during 
  a 
  specified 
  part 
  of 
  any 
  period 
  of 
  

   twelvemonths; 
  to 
  x)ermit 
  the 
  Anelote 
  and 
  Bock 
  Island 
  grounds 
  each 
  

   to 
  be 
  Jislied 
  only 
  once 
  in 
  any 
  period 
  of 
  twenty-four 
  montiis, 
  so 
  arrang- 
  

   ing 
  it, 
  however, 
  that 
  the 
  Anelote 
  grounds 
  may 
  be 
  worked 
  one 
  year 
  and 
  

   the 
  Rock 
  Island 
  the 
  next; 
  to 
  provide 
  for 
  the 
  artificial 
  cultivation 
  of 
  

   sponges 
  in 
  certain 
  prescribed 
  localities 
  among 
  the 
  Florida 
  Keys 
  and 
  

   Biscayne 
  Bay 
  by 
  protecting 
  those 
  who 
  wish 
  to 
  go 
  into 
  the 
  business 
  in 
  

   the 
  exclusive 
  use 
  of 
  certain 
  areas. 
  

  

  ESTABLISHMENT 
  OF 
  A 
  BIOLOGICAL 
  AND 
  FISH-CULTURAL 
  STATION. 
  

  

  Under 
  the 
  terms 
  of 
  the 
  Senate 
  resolution 
  the 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  

   Fisheries 
  is 
  directed 
  "to 
  report 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  advisability 
  of 
  establishing 
  a 
  

   station 
  lor 
  investigation, 
  experiment, 
  and 
  fish-culture 
  at 
  some 
  suitable 
  

   point 
  on 
  the 
  coast." 
  Many 
  reasons 
  make 
  desirable 
  the 
  establishment 
  of 
  

   an 
  exi)eriment 
  station 
  at 
  some 
  point 
  on 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida 
  or 
  the 
  Gulf 
  

   States. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  important 
  food-fishes 
  on 
  the 
  Florida 
  coast 
  is 
  

   greater 
  than 
  on 
  any 
  other 
  coast 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  Very 
  

   little 
  is 
  known 
  regarding 
  the 
  migrati(ms, 
  spawning 
  habits, 
  etc., 
  of 
  any 
  

   of 
  these 
  numerous 
  species, 
  and 
  nothing 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  their 
  artificial 
  

   propagation 
  has 
  been 
  attempted. 
  From 
  what 
  is 
  known 
  of 
  the 
  nature 
  

   of 
  the 
  eggs 
  of 
  the 
  mullet, 
  it 
  is 
  reasonably 
  certain 
  that 
  a 
  method 
  for 
  

   artificially 
  hatching 
  that 
  species 
  may 
  be 
  devised 
  without 
  special 
  difii- 
  

   culty, 
  yet 
  the 
  discovery 
  and 
  development 
  of 
  any 
  such 
  method 
  remain 
  

   to 
  be 
  made. 
  Methods 
  for 
  the 
  artificial 
  propagation 
  of 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  

   other 
  valuable 
  water 
  products 
  can 
  also 
  doubtless 
  be 
  developed. 
  

  

  The 
  abundance 
  on 
  the 
  Florida 
  coast 
  of 
  other 
  forms 
  of 
  animal 
  life 
  

   besides 
  fishes, 
  such 
  as 
  mollusks, 
  crustaceans, 
  and 
  reptiles, 
  is 
  very 
  great. 
  

   Some 
  of 
  these 
  are 
  already 
  of 
  much 
  importance, 
  either 
  as 
  food 
  or 
  bait. 
  

   A 
  biological 
  study 
  of 
  many 
  of 
  these 
  forms 
  would 
  certainly 
  prove 
  of 
  

   great 
  commercial 
  value 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  of 
  scientific 
  interest. 
  

  

  The 
  field 
  for 
  experimentation 
  with 
  the 
  various 
  species 
  of 
  Florida 
  

   sponges 
  is 
  practically 
  a 
  virgin 
  one, 
  whose 
  cultivation 
  promises 
  economic 
  

   results 
  of 
  vast 
  importance. 
  The 
  careful 
  development 
  of 
  a 
  practical 
  

   method 
  by 
  which 
  sponges 
  may 
  be 
  grown 
  artificially, 
  either 
  from 
  cuttings 
  

   or 
  from 
  eggs, 
  is 
  worthy 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  serious 
  attention. 
  The 
  means 
  for 
  

   extending 
  and 
  replenishing 
  the 
  natural 
  sponge 
  beds 
  is 
  a 
  matter 
  tliat 
  

   should 
  also 
  receive 
  consideration. 
  

  

  A 
  station 
  for 
  the 
  investigati<m 
  of 
  these 
  and 
  related 
  questions 
  might 
  

   be 
  advantageously 
  established 
  at 
  some 
  point 
  on 
  Biscayne 
  Bay, 
  at 
  Key 
  

   West, 
  near 
  Tarpon 
  Springs, 
  on 
  Tampa 
  Bay, 
  or 
  elsewhere 
  on 
  the 
  Gulf 
  

   coast. 
  At 
  the 
  outset 
  the 
  most 
  essential 
  thing 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  

   establishment 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  station 
  and 
  the 
  necessary 
  studies 
  would 
  be 
  the 
  

   employment 
  of 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  competent 
  experts 
  to 
  carry 
  on 
  the 
  inves- 
  

   tigations. 
  In 
  tlie 
  beginning, 
  at 
  least, 
  the 
  equipment 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  

   buildings, 
  ai)i>lian('es. 
  etc., 
  need 
  be 
  neither 
  (extensive 
  nor 
  costly. 
  

  

  