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SECTION 4. THE RECOMMENDED PROGRAM 



A general program to acquire and organize Information on the 

 estuarlne zone to satisfy management needs should consist of 

 three equally Important and Interrelated activities: 



1. An integrated and comprehensive program of 

 routine estuarlne zone data collection, including 

 monitoring of estuarlne water quality and habitat. 



2. A centralized system for the collection, 

 organization, and dissemination of estuarlne 

 management information in a form directly useful 

 to managers. 



3. A program of applied research investigations 

 designed to increase knowledge needed for manage- 

 ment. 



BASIC DATA COLLECTION AND ROUTINE MONITORING 



The object of this activity is to establish and maintain a 

 nationwide program of basic data collection and environmental 

 monitoring in the estuarlne zone of the United States. 



Many different agencies operate routine monitoring programs 

 covering limited aspects of the estuarlne environment. Each of 

 these operates for a different purpose and is often uncoordinated 

 with other efforts. Frequently this is simply because there 



