dividual organisms. It is clear, however, that PCB's 

 do accumulate principally in the fats of fishes and 

 that the longer fishes are exposed to contaminated 

 waters and food the greater will be their accumula- 

 tion of PCB's. 



The fish to be monitored were selected on the basis 

 of several criteria: Importance to man (commercial 

 and recreational), ecological importance, and their 

 biochemical, physiological, and behavioral diversity. 

 The sampling sites were chosen to be representative 

 of major coastal and estuarine habitats which differ 

 from one another in ecosystem and function (Fig. 



1). 



When sampled, the organisms recommended gave a 

 cross section of trophic levels at which the different 

 degrees of accumulation may occur. Examples of 

 these are: 



4) Commercially important species of the mack- 

 erel family, pelagic. 



5) Upper dwellers, weakly migratory, and commer- 

 cially important species. 



6) Species indigenous to the area being sampled 

 which are of commercial recreational impor- 

 tance. 



The sites from which the fish samples were collect- 

 ed represented known or suspected highly con- 

 taminated areas, pristine locations, and recreational 

 and commercial areas. The Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific 

 coasts and one inland site were sampled. 



The objective of this work was to develop extensive 

 quantitative data on the concentration of PCB's in 

 the edible tissues of targeted finfishes taken from the 

 chosen areas of U.S. waters. 



1) Plankton-feeding fishes of wide range, high in 

 lipid content, and commercially important. 



2) Benthic-feeding fishes of wide range and of com- 

 mercial importance. 



3) Migratory-feeding fishes, anadromous, top car- 

 nivores that migrate into and out of areas that 

 are highly polluted and are of recreational 

 importance. 



Materials and Methods 



Collections were made between the fall of 1979 and 

 winter of 1981. The collection sites and common 

 names of fishes monitored are shown in Figure 1. 

 Target species from pristine and contaminated sam- 

 pling areas, supporting substantial recreational and 

 commercial areas, were collected seasonally. 



Coot Itvor, Oregon 



St'.ped Bos* 



Hudson Mvot 

 Sniped Boss 

 While Perch 

 Atlantic Tom Cod 

 Hogchoker 



NY Sight 



Striped Boss 

 Windowpane Flounder 

 Winter Flounder 

 Red Hake 



Ion Joaquin tivor 

 Socromonto livor 

 Oft Clarkiburg 



Chip© i Ittond. 

 Marttnoi 



Striped Boss 



Lakm Mood. Novoda 



Striped Bass 



Lot nIHJMOS HQriMM 

 Hortotho* Kolp 

 Caloitna Ittond 



White Croaker 



Ha'tmoon 



Mackerel 



Surt Perch 



Sculpm 



Kelp Boss 



Opaieye 



FIGURE 1.— National PCB survey sampling sites and targeted species. 



390 



