ESTABLISHMENT OF A BIOLOGICAL STATION ON THE GULF OF MEXICO. 
By W. EDGAR TAYLOR, Ph. D., 
Professor of Biology, Louisiana Industrial Institute. 
The Gulf region has a coast line much longer than any other geographic division 
of the coast States. The Gulf coastal line is nearly 7,000 miles long, while the middle 
Atlantic States have but 5,400 miles of coast. Furthermore, the Gulf region is at the 
natural trading focus of a very large geographic section. The United States is 
divided into three great regions, namely, the Atlantic slope section, east of the Appa- 
lachian system; the Pacific slope section, west of the Eocky Mountain divide; and 
thirdly, the great hydrographic basin of the Mississippi. This immense basin contains 
two-thirds of the area of the United States. Likewise, from the standpoint of foreign 
trade there are three centers, namely, New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. 
Hence the Gulf States are most favorably located for supplying a large part of the 
the country with marine products. 
Again, nature has, for the most part, given the Gulf region a united river system, 
thus giving the great Mississippi basin a fauna and flora intimately and peculiarly 
connected with the life of the Gulf region. This great basin offers opportunities not 
found elsewhere for a study of life under different climatic conditions. Hence the 
establishment of a biologic station on the Gulf of Mexico is not simply of interest to 
the Gulf section, but to the Upper Mississippi basin is of more direct value than a 
station on either the Atlantic or Pacific coast. 
Our natural-history resources are proportionally greater, considering the fact that 
less attention has been given them, than any other section of our country. The Gulf 
section is supplied with an abundance of marine and fresh-water products, including 
the oyster, fish, reptiles, sponges, crustaceans, and others. Among invertebrates the 
oyster ranks first in commercial importance. It is extremely abundant throughout 
the entire Gulf section, and constitutes the most prominent fishery product. In 1890 
Louisiana ranked fourth in the list of States in the quantity of oysters gathered from 
public reefs, surpassing all the other States excepting Maryland, Virginia, and New 
Jersey. Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas each have undeveloped 
oyster interests. Among crustaceans the shrimp is taken on the coast of Louisiana, 
Texas, and Mississippi. Crabs of various species are abundant. Several species of 
crawfish exist in the waters of the Gulf region, becoming very abundant in Louisiana 
rice fields, where they are sometimes collected and marketed. 
The economic value of the reptiles inhabiting the Gulf section is greater than in 
any other section. They occur in both fresh and salt water. The crocodile is found 
in Florida, while the alligator occurs in every State of the Gulf coast. Turtle farming 
is carried on in Mississippi, and is being developed in other States, most notably in 
Louisiana. 
