generalized areas of concern are presented here. 



Since there have been no offshore development activities in the study 

 area, there have not as yet been adverse environmental impacts. 



Of particular concern are the expansive undeveloped wetlands and sea 

 islands which span the nearshore zone of all the states in the South Atlantic 

 Coastal zone. These productive marshes are highly valuable in maintaining 

 commercial fisheries of shrimp, crabs, clams, finfish and oysters. Also, 

 such areas are important as buffer zones against storms, protective feeding 

 and breeding grounds for wildlife and waterfowl, nutrient sources for 

 primary producers, and, in general, are the base support for the entire es- 

 tuarine ecosystem (20). 



Potential coastal zone effects of OCS-related operations (dredging, 

 pipeline laying, platform construction, support ship operations) may include 

 the following (41 ): 



a. Disruption of nearshore and estuarine habitats; 



b. Chronic pollution of local water masses by oil or suspended solids; 



c. Decrease in primary and secondary productivity and loss of commer- 

 cial fishing potential ; 



d. Disruption of local marsh structure; 



e. Creation of navigation and fishing hazards; 



f. Adverse effects of oil spills on regional biota. 



Some potential offshore environmental impacts which have received attention 

 in the BLM OCS Environmental Studies Program (21) are related to drilling, 

 platform operation, pipeline construction, and oil and gas recovery. Such 

 potential impacts are: 



a. Disruption or alteration of marine habitat; 



14 



