Environmental Quality Program 



The goal of the IDOE Environmental Quality Program is to learn 

 whether serious damage has been done to marine organisms and 

 marine ecosystems as a result of man's activities. A long-range pro- 

 gram consisting of two studies has been initiated to investigate this 

 complex problem: (1) the geochemical oceans sections study and 

 (2) the study of baseline data, transport, and biological effects of 

 pollutants in the ocean. 



GEOCHEMICAL OCEAN SECTIONS (GEOSECS) STUDY 



In the GEOSECS Study, water samples will be collected at many 

 depths along north-south sections from the Arctic to the Antarctic. 

 For the first time, a set of more than 20 physical and chemical 

 parameters will be determined from each water sample. Informa- 

 tion and data resulting from sample analysis will be used in 

 quantitative studies of ocean mixing and organic productivity and 

 in geochemical inventories — the major scientific goals of the 

 program. 



GEOSECS survey tracks through the Atlantic and Pacific 

 Oceans will follow, as far as is now known, the approximate 

 trajectory of the bottom water current. The research plan is to 

 make chemical measurements at sea, when possible, and to com- 

 plete analyses in shore laboratories. The Atlantic cruise will be 

 conducted during July 1972 to March 1973; the Pacific cruise, 

 during 1974. 



The GEOSECS Study is composed of the following projects: 



Organization 



Atomic Energy 

 Commission 

 Battelle Pacific 

 Northwest Laboratories 

 University of California, 

 Scripps Institution 

 of Oceanograpfiy 

 University of California, 

 Scripps Institution of 

 Oceanography 

 Columbia University, 

 LamontDoherty 

 Geological Observatory 

 Columbia University, 

 Lamonl-Ooherty 

 Geological Observatory 



University of Hawaii 



Louisiana State 

 University 



Massachusetts Institute 

 of Technology 

 University of Miami 



Oregon State University 



Queens College, The 

 City University of 

 New York 



Investigator 



H. L. Volchok 



D. E. Robertson 

 A. E. Bainbridge 



H. Craig 



W S. Broecker 

 R. G. Senechal 



W. S. Broecker, 

 H. Feely, 

 P. E. Biscaye, 

 M. Bender 

 P. Kroopnick 



L. H. Chan 

 J. S. Haror 

 J. M. Edmond 



H. G. Ostlund 



J. V. Byrne 

 L. I. Gordon 



T. Takahashi 



Project Title 



GEOSECS— Fallout Radionuclides in 

 Oceanic Water Columns. 

 GEOSECS— Vertical Distribution of 

 Trace Elements. 

 GEOSECS— Operations Group. 



GEOSECS— SIO Shipboard and Lab- 

 oratory Measurements. 



GEOSECS— Barium Determinations. 



GEOSECS— Ra"", Ra"^, Suspended 

 Particulates, Mineralogy, and Barium 

 Analyses. 



GEOSECS — Isotopic Measurements 



,Qi3/{;'>, O'VO", H7H') of Dissolved 



Oxygen, Atmospheric Water Vapor, 



and Atmospheric CO;. 



GEOSECS— Determination of Barium 



Concentration in Ocean Waters. 



GEOSECS— High-Precision Barium 



Measurements. 



GEOSECS— Radiocarbon and Tritium 



Measurements. 



GEOSECS— Nutrient Analysis and 



Measurements of Organic Carbon 



and Surface pH. 



GEOSECS— Carbonate Chemistry of 



Sea Water. 



STUDIES OF BASELINE DATA, TRANSPORT, AND BIOLOG- 

 ICAL EFFECTS OF POLLUTANTS IN THE OCEAN 



TTie goals of these studies are: 1) To establish the concentration 

 of selected important pollutants in biota, seawater, and sediments; 

 (2) to understand the mechanisms and pathways by which pol- 

 lutants move through the biota, seawater, and sediment and the 

 rate of this movement; (3) to determine the effects of pollutants 

 on marine organisms; and (4) to predict the final effect of ocean 

 pollutants. 



A baseline survey has been made that defines the problem of 

 establishing the concentration of pollutants in the marine environ- 

 mf-nt. Six investigators are measuring transport processes in 

 both field and laboratory studies. TTie biological effects program 

 is now being planned and will consist of field, laboratory, and 

 microcosm experiments. 



The projects now funded for 



Organization Investigator 



University of California, R. Risebrough 



Berkeley 



University of California, 

 Scripps Institution of 

 Oceanography 

 University of California, 

 Skidaway Institute of 

 Oceanography 

 University of Georgia, 

 Skidway Institute of 

 Oceanography 

 Harvard University 



University of Rhode 

 Island 



Woods Hole Oceano- 

 graphic Institution 



pollutant transport studies are: 

 Project Title 



Formulation of Mass Balance Equa- 

 tions for Polychlorinated Biphenyls 

 in Marine Ecosystems.' 

 E. Goldberg The Fluxes of Synthetic Organics in 



the Marine Environment.' 



R. Lasker Exchange Rates of Chlorinated Hy- 



drocarbons and Similar Chemicals in 

 Marine Food Chains.' 



H. Windom The Transfer of Heavy Metals 



Through the Inner Continental Shelf 

 to the Open Ocean.' 



J. N. Butler Transfer of Persistent Pollutants in 



Sargassum Communities.' 



R. A. Duce Atmospheric Pollutant Transport and 



Deposition on the Sea Surface.' 



G. R. Harvey Uptake and Transfer of Chlorinated 



Hydrocarbons in the Atlantic Ocean." 



' 2-year projects. - 1-year project. 



Scientists who participated in the completed baseline survey of 

 the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, and Pacific 

 areas collected biological and geological data and water samples 

 in oceanic areas contiguous to the United States. They used avail- 

 able reference samples to provide absolute calibration of analytical 

 data. Interchange of replicate samples among participating lab- 



