VI-255 

 Chapter 4 

 SUMMARY 



Two major efforts in the National Estuarine Pollution Study 



have been directed toward two interlocking goals. One has 



been the development of the National Estuarine Inventory, 



which stores the masses of information gathered to satisfy 



the directive, ". . . . The Secretary shall .... assemble, 



coordinate, and organize all existing pertinent information . . . ." 



This data assembly has also led to definition of large data gaps. 



The second effort has been to investigate by various methods 

 the state-of-the-art in estuarine sciences in order to "... . 

 identify the problems and areas where further research and study 

 are required . . . ." 



The programs submitted in Chapters 2 and 3 of this Part appear in 

 several instances to overlap. In those cases the intention is not 

 to develop two different programs, but to develop a single program 

 to serve two different needs. The difference lies in the rather 

 subtle implications of the two terms "basic data" and "basic 

 knowledge". These are symbiotic terms, for without the one, the 

 other does not exist. 



The National Estuarine Inventory itself has proven to be a valuable 

 tool in several respects. Although its prime function is to pro- 

 vide information for estuarine management, it can also serve several 



