27 



sity-National Laboratories, should be as- 

 signed to universities with a strong interest 

 and demonstrated comijetence in marine 

 affairs. Under guidelines established by the 

 Federal Government, the University-Na- 

 tional Laboratories would have fonnal pro- 

 visions for making their facilities available 

 to outside investigators and for exchange of 

 advice and assistance with other nearby 

 institutions. 



The relationship between tlie Federal Gov- 

 ernment and each iniiversity could vary from 

 laboratory to laboratory, and the facilities 

 and programs of the LTniversity-National 

 Laboratories need not be identical either in 

 size or form. The number, size, and scope 

 of such major centers depend on the priori- 

 ties ultimately assigned to various elements 

 of the national ocean effort, the availability 

 of funds in competition with other needs, 

 the willingness of major universities to com- 

 mit themselves to such programs, and other 

 factors. The laboratories would include, but 

 not be restricted to, the presently acknowl- 

 edged leadere. Certainly, University-National 

 Laboratories will be needed on the Atlantic, 

 Pacific, and Gulf coasts, the Great Lakes, 

 in the Arctic, and in the mid-Pacific. 



The Commission recommends that Uni- 

 versity-National Laboratories be estab- 

 lished at appropriate locations, equipped 

 with the facilities necessary to undertake 

 global and regional programs in ocean 

 science, and assured of adequate institu- 

 tional funding for continuity and main- 

 tenance of both programs and facilities. 



Centers for Marine Science : Coastal Zone 

 Laboratories 



Tlie major marine research institutions 

 have focused tlieir work in the oceans beyond 

 the coastal zone. Tliere are exceptions, of 



course, and excellent research in beach proc- 

 esses, marine biology, and coastal geology has 

 produced results of national value. But the 

 Nation lacks well-established and well- 

 equipped research centers to investigate the 

 problems of the estuaries and the coastal 

 zone. 



Though some problems are common to all 

 estuaries and coastal zones, most are pri- 

 marily of a regional or local nature and vary 

 greatly. It is necessary only to compare the 

 Hudson River estuary, the Mississippi Delta 

 the Columbia River estuary. Lake Erie, the 

 Maine shoreline, the beaches of North Caro- 

 lina, and Alaska's Cook Inlet to appreciate 

 the vast differences. Even in the same part of 

 the country, regional and local population 

 concentrations and geographical variations 

 create quite different problems. The Dela- 

 ware Bay and Chesapeake Bay are close 

 together — even connected by a canal; yet 

 they pose many different problems. 



Multiple-use problems involving valuable 

 living resources are almo.st entirely regional 

 and local. The relationship of oil, gas, and 

 sulphur recoveiy to the shrimp and oyster 

 fisheries off Louisiana presents quite differ- 

 ent problems than the relationship of the 

 pulp and paper industry with its effluents to 

 the salmon fisheries of Washington. 



The Commission concludes that the serious 

 nature of tlie problems of the estuaries and 

 coastal zones, discussed in Chapter 3, calls 

 for the development of local and regional 

 research centers specializing in their solution. 

 Fortunately, a number of universities already 

 are moving in the direction of research to 

 meet local marine problems; Federal support 

 will serve to accelerate and enlarge this trend. 

 The direct involvement of the States is of 

 great imix)rtance in solving coastal problems. 

 Tlie States will have to operate and maintain 

 their own local environmental monitoring 

 systems; management and some aspects of 



