Introduction and Recommendations 



The principal reason for concern about the presence of chemical 

 pollutants in the marine environment is the possibility that marine 

 life will be adversely affected. The objectives of the Effects of Pol- 

 lutants on Marine Organisms Program of the National Science Foun- 

 dation, Office for the International Decade of Ocean Exploration are 

 to measure the effects of chemical pollutants on individual marine or- 

 ganisms and to assess the significance of the data for the ocean. The 

 inadequacy of acute toxicity tests and the conceptual framework for 

 more comprehensive research are given in Marine Environmental 

 Quality (NAS. 1971). The NSF/IDOE Baseline Studies Conference 

 (1972), concluded that there is readily identifiable contamination of 

 the open ocean and recommended that the highest priorities be given 

 to determining the impact of pollutants on marine life. 



The Program accomplishments summarized in the following pages 

 are presented in two sections: Effects on bacteria and microalgae, and 

 on animals. Supporting chemical investigations are included in each 

 of the two sections. 



During the Workshop the participants tried to assess the signifi- 

 cance of the reported biological effects. In so doing it was recognized 

 that some of these early results were significant and should be fol- 

 lowed up but at the same time it was noted that important problems 

 were not being investigated. These observations are reflected in the 

 recommendations for future research and environmental management 

 section of this report. 



General Recommendations 



1. The participants recommended that the Effects Program have 

 more formal internal coordination and management. To this end the 

 investigators established an Executive Committee for the Program and 

 charged it with; program formulation, communication among inves- 

 tigators, coordination, supplying chemical pollutants from a common 

 source to all investigators, stimulating intercalibration and standard 

 experiments, and identifying research topics not being adequately 

 covered. 



2. The participants recommend that the Effects Program be more 

 closely coordinated with other IDOE Environmental Quality Pro- 



