OYSTER BOTTOMS OF MISSISSIPPI SOUND, ALA. 47 



It will be seen from tliis table that there is a considerable numerical 

 preponderance of small over large oysters practically everywhere, 

 excepting on the dense parts of Buoy, Grants Pass, Pass aux Herons, 

 and Redfish Gully beds, which at present sustain the principal fishery 

 in the region. On all of these the proportion of small to large oysters 

 is less than 2 to 1, and on Pass aux Herons bed they are in approxi- 

 mately equal numbers. 



In a region of rapid growth, such as that under consideration, it 

 may be assumed that most, if not all, of the oysters under 3 inches 

 long in January will measure more than that length in the following 

 winter. Leaving out of consideration the question of mortahty, the 

 death rate among the oysters during the year in which they were 

 progressing from the small to the market size, a bed on which during 

 the winter there is one oyster under 3 inches for every one over that 

 length should be in no immediate danger of depletion, provided the 

 cuUing laws be observed. As a matter of fact, however, some of these 

 oysters will die during the year and the rate of death will depend on 

 the local conditions and the degree to which the beds are exposed to 

 enemies and physical perils. There was disclosed during the survey 

 no evidence of serious mortahty from oyster enemies or other cause 

 on the beds in the vicinity of Grants Pass, and it may be with safety 

 assumed that young oysters of the sizes found in January will not 

 suffer a greater average mortality than about 30 to 40 per cent within 

 the year, unless subjected fo freshets or other accidents. This 

 estimate would fix the minimum requirement of young oysters to 

 maintain the present productiveness of the beds at 1 J for each market 

 oyster present, or more accurately, for each one removed from the 

 beds by death or by the fishery. 



As all of the market oysters can not be taken, it is apparent that 

 none of the beds, with the possible exception of Pass aux Herons, 

 are in immediate danger of depletion. The author does not think 

 that even the excepted bed is threatened by the present extent of 

 the fishery. 



In the year ended June 30, 1911, the tongers took from the pubHc 

 beds of Mobile County about 180,000 market bushels, mostly from 

 Grants Pass, Pass aux Herons, and Redfish Gully. This, it will be 

 observed, is considerably less than the estimated content of these 

 beds in January, when a considerable quantity of their product 

 already had been removed. These beds at that time contained about 

 200,000 bushels of oysters over 3 inches long, or about 265,000 

 bushels as they are measured for the market. 



Practically the only parts of the beds which can be fished with 

 profit at the present time are those which are classed as dense and 

 65397°— 13 4 



