ESTABLISHMENT OF A BIOLOGICAL STATION ON THE GULF OF MEXICO. 



BY W. EDGAR TAYLOR, PH. D., 



Professor of Biology, Louisiana Industrial Institute. 



The Gulf region has a coast line much longer than any other geographic division 

 of the coast States. The Gulf coastal line is nearly 7,000 miles long, while the middle 

 Atlantic States have but 5,400 miles of coast. Furthermore, the Gulf region is at the 

 natural trading focus of a very large geographic section. The United States is 

 divided into three great regions, namely, the Atlantic slope section, east of the Appa- 

 lachian system; the Pacific slope section, west of the Rocky Mountain divide; and 

 thirdly, the great hydrographic basin of the Mississippi. This immense basin contains 

 two-thirds of the area of the United States. Likewise, from the standpoint of foreign 

 trade there are three centers, namely, New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. 

 Hence the Gulf States are most favorably located for supplying a large part of the 

 the country with marine products. 



Again, nature has, for the most part, given the Gulf region a united river system, 

 thus giving the great Mississippi basin a fauna and flora intimately and peculiarly 

 connected with the life of the Gulf region. This great basin offers opportunities not 

 found elsewhere for a study of life under different climatic conditions. Hence the 

 establishment of a biologic station on the Gulf of Mexico is not simply of interest to 

 the Gulf section, but to the Upper Mississippi basin is of more direct value than a 

 station on either the Atlantic or Pacific coast. 



Our natural-history resources are proportionally greater, considering the fact that 

 less attention has been given them, than any other section of our country. The Gulf 

 section is supplied with an abundance of marine and fresh-water products, including 

 the oyster, fish, reptiles, sponges, crustaceans, and others. Among invertebrates the 

 oyster ranks first in commercial importance. It is extremely abundant throughout 

 the entire Gulf section, and constitutes the most prominent fishery product. In 1890 

 Louisiana ranked fourth in the list of States in the quantity of oysters gathered from 

 public reefs, surpassing all the other States excepting Maryland, Virginia, and New 

 Jersey. Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas each have undeveloped 

 oyster interests. Among crustaceans the shrimp is taken on the coast of Louisiana, 

 Texas, and Mississippi. Crabs of various species are abundant. Several species of 

 crawfish exist in the waters of the Gulf region, becoming very abundant in Louisiana 

 rice fields, where they are sometimes collected and marketed. 



The economic value of the reptiles inhabiting the Gulf section is greater than in 

 any other section. They occur in both fresh and salt water. The crocodile is found 

 in Florida, while the alligator occurs in every State of the Gulf.coast. Turtle farming 

 is carried on in Mississippi, and is being developed in other States, most notably in 



Louisiana. 



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