[esese-@r014 PP ee he be oy hy Tees ore Ben HCE aaseittat Rates Mtge pe brane ete AV : “es bie bobcat OS: WOOO Way were es aye reese yoereys tits Raaet eres begs. HARVARD UNIVERSITY. i) Baie ee OF THE MUSEUM OF GOMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. [$,) 40 GIFT OF he ods of the Arwncion Naina lit elsher 26, (Fog, cae | Ata i ie ~ Sonny Preliminary Report upon the Introduction of the Eastern Oyster to the Oregon Coast; Summer of 1897. F. L. WASHBURN, A. M., University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon. It is quite fitting that those interested in the success of this experiment should be informed of its present status, and be furnished with a report less detailed than that forwarded to Washington and yet more complete than the communication in the Oregonian of Jan. 1, 1898. As is well known the work was authorized by the United States Fish Commission; it was in charge of the State University. The U.S. Government paid all the expenses, and it is some satis- faction to know that the experiment has cost the people of Ore- gon nothing. Regarding the present condition of the oyster plant, it gives me pleasure to state that the condition of the introduced speci- mens leaves nothing further to be desired; they have withstood two winters successfully and have made phenomenal growth, far exceeding what they would have made in the same time in their native waters. Further, they spawned. A sufficiently complete statement regarding the work in artificial fertilization has been already made through the medium of the press; suffice it to say that many million of swimming oyster embryos were turned into the waters of Yaquina Bay. Up to the time of leaving the coast, Sept. 12, no spat (developed spawn) of Eastern oysters had been found. The writer hopes that better success will attend the search the coming season and that sufficient spat will be dis- covered in favorable localities to warrant declaring the experi- ment a success scientifically if not practically. From data given below regarding the sudden variability in the temperature and salinity of the water, it must be confessed that the developing spawn has to run a trying gauntlet before attaining the security afforded by a strong shell. It is too early, however, to judge re- garding the success or failure of the experiment. In the work of last summer very complete records of salinity and temperature at different tides and hours were obtained at Yayuina Bay, Coos Bay, Tillamock and Netarts. At Yaquina Bay, particularly, daily air temperature, and surface and bottom water temperature were obtained during the entire summer and a large part of the previous winter, Mr. Geo. King of Oyster City, acting as observer. ‘lo give all of the tables compiled from my - individual work and the work of various observers would make this report unnecessarily voluminous. I will, however, introduce portions of tables to illustrate the two serious difficulties referred to above, viz: sudden. variations in the salinity and temperature of the water resulting from the change of tide, strong winds from the ocean, etc. It is with the expectation of finding some locality, presumably at Yaquina Bay, which bay appears to offer the best advantages, where the spawn may not meet with such sudden changes, that the writer intends to continue and complete during the coming summer the work begun last season. Oyster City, Yaquina Bay, seven ae one-half miles from the ocean. S denotes edengtr, B, Bottom. ‘DATE. | TIME. | TIDE. | SA \LINITY. 3 "| TEMP. oR, ” OBSERVER. July 8 | 12m. Low. @) Sos sS: | 68 = 2! iL. Ww. jfuly.o° 8:45 a. n2.|, Bich, | on021-S | 64 - eso eb |. 1.0165 S$ ee Torrga.m. Ebb. Hae ilesrs [ise : 1.9165 S | 68 ea. ee Low. | 1.018 B | 68 bas \ , 1.015% ~) | 68 a July 14 |9:30 2 m.| Low. ees oe 68 | July 21 | 8a.m. | %Ebb.| 1.021 _ 64 “ P e02PS 63 by: Aug. 6 9 a.m. | | 1.022 BL 6r | The Sloss extract from table serves to cae hea: average salinity at Oyster City during the summer ranging from 1. 0145 to 1. 022. The average density of ocean water on. our coast during the summer was found to be 1.025 at 50° Cent. From a series of observation on water temperature (George King, Observer), from June 28th to. Aug. 3rd, the dates July 14, 15, 16, 17,18 and 19 are here represented to show the. sudden. changes likely to oecur during the spawning season. Oyster City; near planted oysters. S denotes surface, B, Bottom. ine DATE. pees | “Erpr. | TEMPT. °FAHR. jalyei4. - | ees Low. 70 S 70 B High. 57 2h i Low. aie OURS rs. Low. 70S - 70 B 16. yas aa Low. 69 S 69 B High. | «. 2-359 Soars 172 8 A. M. Low. 69 S 68 B As Pa Pd Ebb. 58 S 65 B 8 P.M hea se LOW 3 65 B 18. 9 A. M. | Low. 68 S 68 B Shes | Bip. | 57 B The following extracts from tables compiled from work done at Coos, Tillamook and Netarts Bays in Oregon, and at Hum- boldt Bay, Calif., give a very good idea of the conditions prevail- ing at each place. Eastern oysters were planted in the latter lo- cality in November, 1896, contemporaneously with those planted - at Yaquina Bay. Coos Bay. . te hd | fete. | SALIN- |TEMP.| OB- LOCALITY. | DATE. sali’ TIME | TIDE. | ry. op, | SERV'R Empire City. |Aug. Io. | 8:30a.m|% Fl. | 1. o21'S 63 iF. L.W. 2 s “* |10:45 a. m|High. © | 1.023 S a ee 5 | 1.018 S 64 ae Marshfield. | | 4p.m |7% Ebb Leys 25 B 67 Ie ? : , 1.015 yi oe Aug. II. | 8:15 a. mjLow. 1.015 B 68 &< Buipire City. | ‘S.992.4 7. a.m. |3¢-Ebb.| 1.022 | 59 | . Glasow. | 98% ae tola.jm~s AF. ° pee 2 Be Baas It will be noted from this table that except at Marshfield the water approaches in saltness that of the ocean. Tillamook Bay. LOCALIty. -| Tt _ TIDE. | SALINITY. | TEMP. °F | OBS’R. Mth. of Tillamook | | & Trask-Rivers...|9:30 a.m. | hg Pull, | ° 5008 S| 63: Le.W. t | 1.025S -| 44 Keaeer ee: a2 fails eae enue 1.025 B | AA: 3 Garibaldi.........'12:30p.m High. ',1.024 3-58" — 44., * . * a ™ > a 4 + , = ve eee — 2 , . 4 3 ¥ 7, tn . q » 3 - a . ¥ ” wi « é a ‘« © . * % * ; ‘ . . 3 = - , : 2 ~ 3 . sind , . Po ° . hy > 4 . » . * . - — * a aS . “ , ~- > F * * 7 : ~ ‘ ’ _ ; f ‘ s 7 « .