30 OYSTER BOTTOMS OF MISSISSIPPI SOUND, ALA. 



Details of Examination of Mussel Gully. 



An?le 

 No. 



Date of 

 examination. 



Depth 

 of 



("hanicter of srrowth 



Oyster*; caught per 

 " square yard. 



Estimated quantity oys- 

 ters |ier acre." 



water. 





Spat. 



Culls. 



Counts. 



Seed. 



Market. 



Total. 



393 

 395 



Dee. 16,1910 

 do 



Feet. 

 I.IH) 

 1.00 



Very scattering 



Depleted 



6.1 

 .0 



11.4 

 7.3 



1.7 

 .0 



Bush. 



123 



51 



Bush. 

 27 

 



Bush. 

 1.^)0 

 51 











SAND REEF. 



This bed lies in Mobile Bay, stretching from Redfish Gully to Pass 

 Dnivy for a distance of about 2^ niiles along the outside of Little 

 Dauphm Island. It has an average width of about one-third mile 

 from above low-water mark to a depth of about 10 feet. It is the 

 largest bed falling withm the limits of this report, but at the time 

 of exammation it was of comparatively little economic value, and at 

 no tune were boats observed at work on it. Its extent, the distri- 

 bution of oyster growth, and content of oystei-s are shown ui the 



foUowmg table; 



Oyster Growth ox Saxd Reef. 





Area. 



Oysters per acre. 



Estimated content of oysters. 



Character of oyster growth. 



Under 3 

 inches. 



Over 3 

 inches. 



Seed. Market. Total. 



Dense 



Acres. 



220 



185 



21 



229 



Bushels. 



lOS 



61 



38 



7 



Bushels. 



3 IS 



9S 



40 



4 



Bushels. Bushels. , Bushels. 

 23,7tiO 69.91.0 93,720 



Scatterms; 



11,285 IS, 130 29,415 



Very scattering 



798 840 1,638 



Depleted 



1.603 916 2,519 





1 



Total 



655 





37.446 1 S9.S46 127,292 





i 





The dense growth covers a nearly continuous stri]) running the 

 entire length of the bed. The 03"sters occur in rather large clusters 

 and are of medium size, with comparative!}' few over 4 inches long, 

 and inferior in shape and quality. The scattermg gro^^i:h lies prin- 

 cipally mshore of the upper or northeast half of the dense area, extend- 

 ing well up to or above low-water mark. The oysters lie in clusters 

 and are apparenth^ tossed about by the waves and often more or less 

 submerged in the sand. The very scattering growth fringes the ofl'- 

 shore edge of the upper third of the dense area. The depleted bottom, 

 which is the most extensive of the four classes of oyster growth repre- 

 sented, lies mainl}' in a large body in the lialf of the bed close to the 

 mouth of the bay. The oysters on this bed probably rarely, if ever, 

 become fit for market, and are of value as seed only, and even for 

 such purposes they should be used with caution, owing to the danger 

 of transplanting the drills which abound. 



