256 THE SEA FISHERIES 



of the United States has been due to men eminent as zoologists, 

 who have been associated temporarily with the work of the Bureau. 

 Their services have been the services of specialists for particular 

 problems, and through them the Bureau has not only been able to 

 give to the pubhc the practical results of applied science, but has 

 contributed to pure science valuable knowledge of all forms of 

 aquatic life. The small permanent staff of the Bureau concerns 

 itself more directly with studies of fish and their environment, 

 with the preservation of diminishing commercial species and the 

 development of new or improved methods of increasing the supply. 



Such lines of work are undertaken as necessity arises or as assist- 

 ance is asked for. The most important work of recent years has 

 been concerned with aquatic products other than fish, namely 

 oysters, fresh-water mussels, sponges and the diamond-back 

 terrapin (a species of tortoise), in all of which cases the problem is 

 to find means to counterbalance the results of long-continued over- 

 draft upon natural supply. The Bureau also employs a fish patho- 

 logist, a position specially created by Congress at the request of 

 the Commissioner. Much time has been given to the study of 

 diseases among fish at the hatcheries of the Government and the 

 various states, which has resulted in a great extension of our know- 

 ledge of the causes and prevention of many of the affections which 

 attack fish under cultivation. The work of the pathologist also 

 includes the investigation of conditions due to pollution of waters. 



Two marine laboratories are maintained by the Bureau. One is 

 at Woods Hole, Mass., where it was built in 1883 in conjimction 

 with a marine fish hatchery. The other laboratory is situated on a 

 small island near Beaufort, N.C., and was built in 1901. In each 

 case the land was given by private individuals. In addition to 

 their work on behalf of the Bureau itself these laboratories are 

 available to the public for the purposes of study and scientific 

 research. University students, professors and other qualified 

 investigators may have the facilities of the laboratories on request, 

 and these facilities are largely used every year. 



For the smrvey of the offshore fishing grounds, the study of pelagic 

 fish and the general exploration of the sea, the Bureau has had, 

 since 1882, the steamer Albatross, which was specially designed 

 and built for the work ; there is no doubt that this vessel has con- 

 tributed more to the knowledge of the life and physics of the sea 

 than any other. 



The Albatross is a twin-screw steamer, rigged as a brigantine of 

 1,074 tons displacement, 384 net tonnage, built at a cost of $190,000. 

 The complement of officers and men is furnished by the navy, and 

 there is, in addition, a small civilian staff, including a resident 



