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Moderate depths should be the center of attention: sites which are too shallow may be heavily 

 influenced by natural cycles of deposition and erosion while extremely deep areas would be too diluted. 



• Finally, as an initial step, a site specific approach should be considered to address specific questions, 

 followed by a more general approach once the questions are refined. 



3.2.7 Session Chairs Post Meeting Discussion 



Following the workshop, the session chairs met to discuss a series of issues which were unable to be addressed 

 during the limited time available. It was just not possible to cover all of the aspects of a topic of this complexity 

 in only three days of discussion. 



Before any study of this type can be initiated it is vital that the appropriate questions be asked. These questions 

 will undoubtedly fall within the vague concern of "just what are the low level, chronic stresses which may be 

 having long-term, subtle impacts on the OCS but which cannot be adequately examined, or even identified, in 

 terms of acute impacts?" After individual, well-defined questions are asked, it will then be time to select those 

 locations where these low level, chronic stresses may be resulting in these long-term impacts. Once the potential 

 stresses and areas of impact are identified the next step will be to determine how these low level, chronic stresses 

 might be impacting these areas over the long-term. These will obviously include such wide ranging issues as 

 standing stocks, reproduction, competitive abilities, body burdens, bioaccumulation, fitness, biochemical pathways, 

 etc. It is at this point that the actual questions to be addressed will finally be chosen. 



Once the questions are defined we will be tasked to select the best techniques/methodologies available to address 

 them. At this point it is not possible to list all of the options available but it is obvious that the study components 

 will include not only the standard sampling and survey techniques but also state-of-the-art analyses and 

 experimentation. One needs only to examine the Technical Contributions of these proceedings (sections 2.2.1- 

 2.2.17) for an introduction to the cutting edge of these analyses. 



Once the questions are defined, the study sites selected, and the methodology(s) chosen, the sampling regime 

 together with the appropriate statistical considerations can be designed. While it is much too early to discuss 

 the statistical approaches which will be used, it needs to be remembered that once individual questions are 

 answered, the next step will most likely lead to a modelling of the chemical and biological pathways. This could 

 lead to the establishment of a program specifically designed to monitor the health of the system. 



