OYSTER BOTTOMS OF MISSISSIPPI SOUND, ALA. 



43 



within private claims. In addition to this there are what appear to 

 have been natural beds, lying in less than 2 feet of water, between 

 Cat Island, Murder Point, and the mouth of Goose Bayou, most of 

 which are now planted or claimed as planted. 



The entire area of 4,008 acres of natural beds surveyed embraces 

 37 per cent of dense growth, 13 per cent of scattering, 12 per cent 

 of veiy scattering, and 38 per cent of depleted bottom. This dis- 

 tribution is summarized in the following table: 



Summarized Statement of Areas of Market Oysters on Public Beds. 



Name of bed. 



Character of oyster growth. 



Dense. 



Scatter- 

 ing. 



Very scat- 

 tering. 



De- 

 pleted. 



Total. 



Kings Bayou Reef. 



Buoy Reef. 



Cedar Point Reef 



Pass des Huitres 



Pass des Huitres Flats 



Dutch Gully 



Dutch Island 



Big Gully 



Peter Billys Gully 



Grants Pass 



Pass aux Herons 



Redfish Gully 



Black Lumps 



West side Little Dauphin Island. 



Mussel Gully 



Sand Reef 



Dauphin Island Bay 



Sprinkels Bay 



Collier Bay 



East Base'. 



Half-moon Patches 



Heron Bay, east side 



Heron Bay, west side 



Northwest arm Heron Bay 



Middle Ground 



Grassy Island 



Goose Bayou 



Southwest Van signal 



East of Marsh Island 



Planted oysters, Portersville Bay 



North end Portersville Bay 



West side Coffee Island 



Acres. 



39 



202 



100 



53 



122 



39 



42 



44 



39 



64 



211 



209 



Acres. 



Acres. 



34 

 21 

 30 

 41 

 19 

 21 

 10 



40 

 19 

 24 



Acres. 

 3 

 12 

 56 



39 



21 

 14 

 11 

 13 



14 



24 

 11 

 28 

 <.2 



24 



220 



185 

 52 



<9 



9 



11 



21 



154 



2 

 34 

 31 



77 



156 



32 



229 



550 



133 



13 



3 



4 



52 



21 



42 



12 



40 



"i' 



27 



Acres. 



82 



267 



201 



83 



202 



58 



87 



65 



81 



127 



292 



220 



139 



165 



43 



655 



756 



133 



13 



3 



14 



102 



54 



58 



52 



4 



12 



1 



2 



8 



2 



27 



Total. 



1,477 



501 



485 



1,545 



4,008 



It should be understood that the foregoing classification in respect 

 to relative density of oyster growth is based solely on the quantity 

 of oysters 3 inches or more in length, irrespective of the quantity of 

 small oysters present. The classification furthermore represents 

 the condition at the time of examination and the several classes may, 

 and undoubtedly will, undergo redistribution from time to time. 

 The areas of dense growth may become less productive from over- 

 fishing or other causes, while a heavy set of spat may bring the 

 lower classes into increased productivity and raise them a step 

 higher in the scale. In some cases the number of yoimg oysters 

 on the beds at the time of examination was sufficient to produce 

 this effect in the following year. On the whole, however, the general 

 conditions shown in this report, barring accidents, should be maia- 



