The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-07-20
The Oyster Expert at Work.

oysters at the marine biological lab
oratory at Keysport, has arrived at
his post and begun operations. Keys
port is on Port Orchard bay and is to
be the scene of extensive oyster rails
ing operations. In an interview Prof
lessor Doane says:
eve have had dam constructed
enclosing small arm of the bay, cov-
ering about 80 acres, in which the ex-
periments will be carried on. The
present condition of the eastern oyster
industry on this coast is about as fol-
lows: For several years Morgan and
Co. of San Francisco have been ship
ping young oysters to this coast and
planting them in the warm waters of
the San Francisco bay Here they are
left to grow and fatten from three to
five years, and when they are taken
up and marketed the size and flavor
of the transplanted oyster are superior
to those fattencd in eastern waters.
A few years ago the oyster men OF
this state became interested in this in
dustry, and have had several carlords
OF eastern oysters planted in the vari-
GUS bays of the state. These have
made fine growth and developed into
first class oysters, but as yet they have
been unable to catch any spat or
young oysters that were grown in the
waters OF the Pacific. The object of
our experimints is not to determine
whether the eastern oyster will grow
well when transplanted here, for that
has been demonstrated beyond doubt,
but what we wish to do is to find out
why it does not spawn here. or, If it
does why we have been unable to
catch any spat.
"The experiments carried on last
summer seem to show beyond boubt
that this oyster does spawn here and
that the only thing necessary is to
make some provision for catching the
young oysters when they settle down
and begin their growth. The eastern
oyster differs from the native of this
coast, not only in size, but in being
uni-sexual, while the native is her
maphrodiiic, and this difference is of
more Importance than would at first
seem. When the young of the native
oyster leaves the parent it is ready to
settle down and attch itself to some
clean oyster shell or other collector
and begin its growth.
"The life Of the eastern oyster is
quite different. As the reproductive
elements ripen in different individu-
ais they have to meet by chance in the
water. Soon after the eggs are fertil-
lied they begin their development,
and while they are yet very small, in
deed so small as to require high
power microscope to detect, they de-
velop little celia or hair-like processes,
by means OF which the young oyster
swims around in the water and very
soon comes to the surface. They live
In this condition for period of three
to five days, the time depending on the
temperature of the water.
"This is the dangerous period in the
life history oil the oyster, for a sudden
fall in temperature might destroy mil
liohs of them, and if they are in the
open bays they may be swept miles
and miles from their birthplace. After
a few days shell begins to form ON
the little swimming embryo and ii
gradually begins to sink to the bot
tom. IF it is fortunate enough to
| light upon some clean surface, such as
clean shell, pebble or smooth piece OF
woed, it soon attaches itself and Its
shell grows rapidly, and now for the
first time the young oyster begins to
assume the general shape of the adult.
lit is now known to oystermen as spat,
ard it is these young spat, or seed oys-
ters, as they are called, that are ship
ped to this coast for transplanting.
"This brief outline of the life of the
! eastern oyster will serve to show, ]
think, why it is that oystermen here
have been unable to catch any spat
for while they are in the swimming
stage the tide crrries them far from
the planters bed and there is scarcely
one chance in hundred that the next
tide will bring them back to the same
place.
"Our work this summer will be to
try to devise some means for collect
ing these swimming embryos. A car
| load of the finest eastern oysters thai
/ could be obtained have been placed in
the bay that I mentioned, and here
various devices will be experimental
with. The state fish commissioner
1 who has general supervision of thil
work, has erected very commodioul
laboratory, which has been furnished
with all the apparatus needed in these
Investigations from the biological lab