OYSTER BOTTOMS OF MISSISSIPPI EAST OF BILOXI. 



23 



are near the southeastern end of Deer Ishmd, and the western and 

 eastern, beds, respectively, above the railroad bridge. In addition 

 there are a number of small patches below the railroad brido^e, the 

 largest of which is believed to be a public planted bed. Altogether 

 there are in Biloxi Bay about 582 acres of oyster bottom, of which 

 102 acres are classed as dense, 143 as scattering, 222 as very scatter- 

 ing, and 115 as depleted. Of the entire area of 1,708 acres of natural 

 oyster bottom located by the survey, 13 per cent is covered by a dense 

 growth of oysters of marketable size, 15 per cent by a scattering 

 growth, 44 per cent by a very scattering growth, and 28 per cent is 

 depleted or very deficient in such oysters. 



The following table summarizes the distribution of the oysters on 

 the several beds: 



Summarized Statement of Areas of Market Oysters on Public Beds. 



Name of bed. 



Scranton Reef 



Patches near Scranton Reef 



West Pascagouia Reef 



Deer Island, East Point 



Small patches, Biloxi Bay 



Biloxi Bay, below railway bridge. 



Back Bay, east bed 



Back Bay, west bed 



Total. 



Character of oyster growth. 



Dense. 



Acres. 



44 



217 



Scatter- 

 ing. 



Acres. 

 105 

 10 



19 



7 



106 



258 



Very 

 scatter- 

 ing. 



Acres. 

 402 

 10 

 119 

 35 

 60 

 68 

 18 

 41 



753 



Depleted. 



Acres. 



262 



8 



95 



47 



1 



26 

 21 

 20 



480 



Total. 



Acres. 

 813 



28 

 285 

 106 



73 

 234 



74 



95 



1,708 



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 wdll 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 young oysters on the beds 

 at the time of examination was sufficient to produce this effect in 

 the folio vdng year. On the whole, however, the general conditions 

 shown in this report, barring accidents, should be maintained for a 

 period of years. The estimated total content of oysters over 3 

 inches long on the several parts of the different beds is shown in the 

 table following. 



