existing Federal and State capabilities for preserving the marine environ- 

 ment. On February 10, 1970, in his environmental message to the Congress 

 the President outlined a comprehensive 37-point program to guide the 

 Nation in restoring the environment. Important sections of the message 

 were devoted to water pollution. The Government has proposed legislation 

 to encourage States to assume a greater responsibility for planning, regu- 

 lating and managing their coastal areas, and has ordered immediate steps 

 to reduce air and water pollution caused by Federal projects and installations. 

 It has authorized additional expenditures for water pollution control. The 

 Council on Environmental Quality was established by legislation to insure 

 that all programs and actions are undertaken with a careful respect for 

 the needs of environmental quality, and a Cabinet Committee on the En- 

 vironment was created to coordinate Federal activities in the environmental 

 field and ascertain that environmental considerations are taken into account 

 in programs of Federal agencies. 



Water discoloration shown in Apollo 9 photographs of Cape Hatteras indicates tidal 

 estuarine discharges from Pamlico Sound, N.C. Remnant plumes from the previous 

 ebb flow, a southerly flowing Virginia coastal current, and the Gulf Stream boundary, 

 are also clearly visible in the photograph. 



27 



