— in assessing impacts of oil spills such as IXTOC I in Texas. 



In view of the variety of applications of the ecological characterization study 

 products, the primary contribution made by these studies appears to be the 

 compilation of diverse kinds of information from widely scattered sources. The 

 reported information is the best available, its sources are verified, and readers are 

 directed to a wide range of related reference materials. Mapped data are presented to 

 facilitate comparative analysis, and the products are accessible on both scientific and 

 technical levels. Workshops are held for concerned federal, state, and local agencies, 

 and others to demonstrate and test the application of characterization products in a 

 "hands on"exercise. Such workshops are also a means by which users can contribute 

 directly to future studies by clarifying their needs for information and making 

 suggestions to improve the quality of usability products. 



FUTURE CHARACTERIZATION THRUSTS 



The major thrusts of future characterization efforts will focus on: 1) applying 

 ecological characterization information to coastal issues, primarily energy-related; 2) 

 implementing a computerized delivery system for analysis and updating of character- 

 ization data; and 3) evaluating and refining the characterization concept and 

 products. Examples of application studies include an evaluation of strategies for 

 minimizing impacts of selected hydroelectric water release regimes of the Santee- 

 Cooper Rediversion Project on downstream natural resources; energy-related use 

 conflicts in the Columbia River estuary (Oregon-Washington); oil and gas activities 

 and their cumulative effects in Galveston Bay (Texas); and cumulative impacts of 

 wetland loss in coastal Louisiana. Other application efforts will be initiated as 

 characterization studies are completed. 



SUMMARY 



Environmental protection of our coastal ecosystems has been strengthened in 

 recent years with the enactment of several federal laws such as the National 

 Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, 

 the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. 

 These laws, together with the River and Harbor Act of 1 899 and the Fish and Wildlife 

 Coordination Act amendment, recent presidential directives on barrier islands and 

 wetlands, and the numerous state and local laws, form the framework for the 

 management of coastal ecosystems. If management of these ecosystems is to be based 

 on the best available information, it is imperative that this knowledge be transferred 

 to decisionmakers in a form that is readily accessible and understandable. 

 Characterization studies provide a standardized methodology for acquiring, ana- 

 lyzing, and portraying information and for allowing a more direct comparison of 

 data produced by numerous groups. 



REFERENCES 



1. U.S. Water Resources Council. 1978. The Nation's water resources, 1975- 

 2000 — the second national water assessment. Vol. 1: Summary. Washington, 

 D.C. 86 pp. 



2. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service. 1979. 

 Fisheries of the United States. 1978. Curr. Fish. Stat. Washington, D.C. 120 pp. 



3. Gosselink, J. G., and R. H. Baumann. 1980. Wetland inventories: wetland loss 

 along the United States coast. Zeitschrift fur Geomorphologie 34:173-187. 



4. Gosselink, J. G., C. L. Cordes, and J. W. Parsons. 1979. An ecological 

 characterization study of theChenier Plain coastal ecosystem of Louisiana and 

 Texas. FWS/OBS-78/9 through 78/ 1 1. 3 vol. Office of Biological Services, 

 Fish and Wildlife Service, USDI. Washington, D.C. 



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