16 



OYSTEK BOTTOMS OF MISSISSIPPI SOUND, ALA. 



decreases shoreward from a scattering growth to a depleted area 

 which extends to low-water mark. For the outermost mile of its 

 length the reef is hardly more than 200 yards in width and the dense 

 growth averages about 100 yards wide. Within a half mile of shore 

 the dense area expands and curves southward to connect with the 

 corresponding area of Pass des Huitres bed. The proportion of 

 market oysters to small ones is generally high throughout this dense 

 area and is relatively much lower on the less densely populated 

 bottoms. 



As has been already stated, the scattering and very scattering 

 growths occur as fringes along the edges of the dense growth. The 

 depleted area expands on the shoreward part of the reef, extending 

 from the dense growth to the shore, as widely scattered clusters of 

 small oysters lying on the sand. These clusters lie in very shoal 

 water, and although the growth was not examined with care, it appa- 

 rently extends for some distance northward from the end of Cedar 

 Point. 



The depth of water lying over Cedar Point Reef varies from 6^ 

 feet at its outer end to less than 2 feet at the inner edge of the area 

 of dense growth. The surrounding water is generally about 2 feet 

 deeper than over adjacent parts of the reef. 



The following table shows in detail the results of the examinations 

 made on the bed: 



Details of Examination of Cedar Point Reef. 











Oysters caught per 



Estimated quantity oys- 



Angle 

 No. 



Date of 

 examination. 



Depth 

 of 



water. 



Character of growth. 



square yard. 



ters per acre. 























Spat. 



Culls. 



Counts. 



Seed. 



Market. 



Total. 







Feet. 











Bush. 



Bush. 



Bush. 



38 



Nov. 21,1910 



9.00 



Dense 



7.5 



60.0 



44.5 



473 



706 



1,179 



41 



do..: 



6.00 



do 



8.0 



19.4 



19.4 



192 



310 



502 



42 



do 



7.00 



do 



4.8 



21.5 



23.0 



184 



368 



552 



69 



Nov. 22. 1910 



6.00 



do., 



1.6 



9.0 



6.8 



74 



109 



183 



70 



do 



5.00 



do.: 



5.9 



9.0 



9.7 



104 



155 



259 



73 



do 



6.00 



do 



6.7 



17.8 



23.3 



172 



373 



545 



74 



do 



8.00 



do 



14.0 



14.6 



19.4 



200 



310 



510 



75 



do 



7.00 



do 



16.0 



4.0 



9.3 



140 



149 



289 



80 



do 



5.50 



do 



10.5 



12.6 



15.2 



162 



243 



405 



81 



do 



8.00 



do 



6.0 



7.3 



18.0 



93 



288 



381 



83 



do 



8.00 



do 



4.0 



27.3 



24.6 



219 



394 



613 



84 



do 



7.00 



do 



1.9 



13.0 



17.4 



104 



278 



382 



85 



do 



6.00 



do 



1.0 



18.4 



35.2 



136 



5t>4 



700 



96 



do 



9.25 



do 



.0 



8.5 



16.5 



59 



264 



323 



108 



do 



7.00 



do 



. / 



8.9 



30.4 



67 



487 



554 



109 



do 



6.00 



do 



.6 



11.9 



14.7 



87 



236 



323 



110 



do 



5.00 



do 



2.4 



17.6 



44.8 



140 



717 



857 



111 



do 



7.00 



do 



. 1 



.0 



20.6 



5 



332 



337 



113 



do 



5.00 



do 



.0 



7.1 



11.4 



50 



182 



232 



97 



do.. 



7.00 



Scattering 



2.6 



6.7 



7.8 



65 



125 



190 



79 



do 



6.00 



do 



12.3 



19.0 



8.1 



219 



130 



349 



71 



do 



5.50 



do 



3.2 



7.9 



8.4 



78 



134 



212 



43 



Nov. 21,1910 



9.00 



Very scattering 



.0 



.0 



.0 















82 



Nov. 22,1910 



8.50 



do 



2.0 



6.0 



2.7 



56 



43 



99 



76 



do 



8.00 



do 



3.3 



2.0 



3.3 



37 



53 



90 



112 



do 



6.00 



do 



1.1 



5.5 



3.8 



46 



61 



107 



72 



do 



6.00 



do 



1.1 



5.0 



2.8 



43 



45 



88 



68 



do 



6.50 



Depleted 



12.2 



.5 



.0 



89 







89 



