VI-174 



ordinary sewage. Increase as well as decrease in concentration of 

 these materials can be rapid. The emphasis, therefore, should be on 

 the development of rapid simple methods inexpensive enough for 

 practical use. 



Methodology is required for describing estuarine ecosystems. It has 

 been pointed out that there is a need for conducting studies on an 

 ecosystem basis. Even today, comprehensive ecological studies of 

 estuaries are uncommon, and most of these are of limited scope. In 

 order to enhance our progress it is necessary to greatly improve 

 biological data collection systems. Techniques must be developed which 

 will develop more significant knowledge with simpler, faster, and more 

 reliable sampling and analytical techniques. Aerial reconnaissance 

 of vegetation, distribution and abundance and in situ measurements of 

 chlorophyll (a measure of standing crop) using a continuous recording 

 fluormeter are examples of promising possibilities. 



DATA PROCESSING 



Scientific data describing the various estuarine systems has been 

 collected for many years. Regrettably, this information rarely is 

 put into a form in- which it is generally available and useful for 

 geographic areas beyond that in which the study was done. A specific 

 need of research workers is for conventionalized methods of observa- 

 tion and data recording to be made and a central exchange where such 

 information might be Inserted and extracted by workers of all disci- 

 plines from all areas of the country. Such a system would rapidly 



