THIRTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 67 
THE FLORIDA SPONGE FISHERY. 
BY JOSEPH WILLCOX. 
Mr. Presipent: Professor Goode has asked me to say some- 
thing about the resources of the coast of Florida, and I see that 
Iam set down on the programme fora paper on the sponge 
fishery. Ido not feel able to give an exhaustive paper on the 
sponge fishery, and not having expected to have been called 
upon until to-morrow, I am not well prepared, but I will do the 
best I can: 
The geological formation of Florida, at least in the central 
and western portions, is lime-stone overlaid with sand. This 
limestone is tertiary; and judging from the fossils that have been 
collected by several, myself included, it is referred to the Oligo- 
cene age by Prof. Heilprin, of Philadelphia. The west coast at 
one time, not very remote, undoubtedly extended farther into 
the sea than it does at present. The rocky surface, under the 
water, not having been eroded to a great extent, now forms 
great shoals along the coast from Cedar Keys nearly to Tampa 
Bay. I know nothing of the coast north of Cedar Keys, but 
south of that place these shoals extend into the gulf many miles, 
interfering materially with the navigation of even small boats. 
North of Tampa bay, for the distance of about thirty or forty 
miles, there is a series of long, narrow, low islands, two or three 
miles from the mainland, very similar to those on the coast of 
New Jersey. They enclose a shallow bay, the northern portion 
of which is called Clearwater harbor. 
The same features may be seen south of Tampa bay, forming 
for a distance of about thirty miles, Sarasota bay. Still farther 
south, enclosed in the same manner, is the large expanse of 
water called Charlotte harbor. The same condition still exists 
farther south, but I have not seen them. The shoals on the west 
coast of Florida are admirably adapted for the existence of great 
varieties and quantities of forms of life suited for food of fish, 
which exist there in corresponding abundance. The enemies of 
these fish also occur there in vast quantities. 
-Presuming that all the living productions of the sea, of com- 
