MARINE AL,GM OF BEAUFORT, N. C. 377 



Hourly observations of the current were made by the U. S. Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey on Cape Lookout Shoals Light Vessel from June 7 to September i , 1912. These 

 showed that, at this place, the mean current, freed from tidal influence, flowed S. 87 E. 

 with a velocity of 723 m. per hour (0.39 knot) from June 7 to July 5, and N. 85 E. with 

 a velocity of i .372 km. per hour (0.74 knot) from July 6 to September i . From this it 

 appears that the Gulf Stream, following the general direction of the coast, has its western 

 edge, on an average, during the summer season, somewhat westward from Cape Look- 

 out Shoals Light Vessel (see map 3), and about 55 km. (30 nautical miles) offshore 

 from Beaufort Inlet. No observations have been made for this region at other times 

 of the year, but the exact location of the Gulf Stream will, of course, vary consider- 

 ably at different seasons and even on different days of the same season, depending on 

 the direction and strength of the wind. 



Lying offshore are a number of submerged coral reefs (see map 3) which offer some 

 of the most interesting conditions found in this region. These have been described 

 by Radcliffe (1914). The outer reefs lie from about 29 to 39 km. (16 to 21 nautical 

 miles) offshore at a depth of 24 to 28.8 m. (13.25 to 16 fathoms), while the two inner 

 ones lie, respectively, about 3.3 and 6.5 km. (1.8 and 3.5 nautical miles) offshore at a 

 depth of 8 to 13.5 m. (4.5 to 7.5 fathoms). The largest of these, the "Fishing Grounds," 

 was visited by the author on board the Fish Hawk in May, 1907, two days being spent 

 there and 22 hauls being made with the dredge over the entire observed reef. This 

 lies about 39 km. (21 nautical miles) offshore, about 22 km. (12 nautical miles) inshore 

 from the average summer location of the western edge of the Gulf Stream, at a depth 

 of 24 to 25.5 m. (13.25 to 14 fathoms). At the time of this visit the observed length 

 was about 1.85 km. (i nautical mile) and the observed width was about 900 m. (0.5 

 nautical mile). Observations made by Radcliffe in the summer of 1914 indicate, 

 however, that this reef is many times larger than was previously known. It is now 

 believed to include Station No. .1 (see map 3) extending many kilometers in the 

 direction of New River Inlet and being several kilometers wide. The lower part is 

 composed of old, dead coral masses, hard and densely packed, with the surface fairly 

 smooth, forming a sort of coral rock, penetrated and honeycombed by numerous 

 worms and molluscs. On and in this substratum were found many hydro ids, corals, 

 sponges, Gorgonias, Echinoderms, Lamellibranch molluscs, Crustacea, worms and 

 Ascidians, together with numerous algae. Over the reef swam abundant fish, mainly 

 sea bass (Centropristes striatus), the sailors catching these as fast as they could pull 

 them in. The bottom around the reef was composed of sand and broken coral, and, 

 except for one large, apparently unattached mass of Zonaria ftava, all signs of life 

 (including the fish) ceased as soon as its border was passed. Although living coral 

 was abundant on top of the reef, there was no evidence that this is growing toward the 

 surface, the depths recorded on the four visits made by the Fish Hawk to this place in 

 1902, 1907, 1913, and 1914 being almost identical. 



Some observations made by Radcliffe on board the Fish Hawk in the summers of 

 1913 and 1914 disclose interesting conditions in the vicinity of this reef. Other reefs 

 seem to be present at various points along the shore, and coral and algae were found 

 abundantly. Over considerable areas at many points offshore the bottom seemed 

 smooth and hard apparently consisting of rock as smooth as a floor and bore 

 scattered specimens of algae. Offshore from New River Inlet there was found an 



