68 



The present level of funding support for such 

 research, estimated at no more than $25 mil- 

 lion annually from all sources (excludinc 

 fisheries projects) , is inadequate. Additional 

 funds and talent must be enlisted. 



Developing the knowledge and techniques 

 for maximizing the productive uses of the 

 coastal zone is of such great importance that 

 it cannot be left to a scattered and frag- 

 mented effort. Greater focusing of the di- 

 \-erse groups concerned with coastal zone re- 

 searcli and development is needed to ensure 

 that no significant gaps occur in the national 

 effort and that personnel, facilities, and fiscal 

 resources are utilized most efficiently. 



The Commission recommends that: 



• Federal and State agencies with coastal 

 zone responsibilities provide more ade- 

 quate support for scientific and engi- 

 neering research on coastal problems. 



• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Agency take the lead in identifying and 

 funding the diverse research programs 

 needed to solve the problems of the 

 coastal zone. 



Monitoring Needs 



State and Federal fisheries and pollution 

 agencies need continuously updated data on 

 water quality, flow, circulation, salinity, and 

 biological content ; beach erosion and siltation 

 must be monitored in order to detect changes 

 Iiefore excessive damage is done. Effective 

 management of the coastal zone will require 

 monitoring of such social and economic in- 

 diciitoi-s as recreation usage and fisheries 

 production. 



Responsibility for monitoring systems cur- 

 rently is widely dispersed and in many re- 

 spects is unclear. The Geological Survey, in 

 collaboration with the FWPCA, operates 



more than 200 stations to moniT-or nver m- 

 flow to estuaries and obtains water quality in- 

 formation at more than 100 coastal stream 

 sites. Information from this network is 

 supplemented by data from the Corps of En- 

 gineers, the Coast Guard, and the Environ- 

 mental Science Services Administration. The 

 Environmental Science Services Administra- 

 tion is primarily responsible for monitoring 

 estuarine tides and currents. The Public 

 Health Service and the Atomic Energy Com- 

 mission have supported limited monitoring 

 and special studies of estuarine circulation 

 to meet their special needs. State agencies 

 and universities have deployed still addi- 

 tional equipment in selected areas. 



Little attention has been directed to devel- 

 oping instrumentation for monitoring estua- 

 rine parameters, and a special effort under 

 "Federal leadership is needed to meet the 

 needs. 



The Commission recommends that the 

 National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Agency in cooperation with other Federal 

 agencies develop the necessary monitoring 

 instrumentation for the coastal zone. 



Trained Personnel 



Improved understanding and management 

 of coastal areas requires attracting and train- 

 ing personnel to carry forward expanded 

 programs. The essential need is to expose per- 

 sons from a variety of backgrounds to the 

 specific problems of estuarine and coastal in- 

 teractions and to develop programs em- 

 bracing many disciplines. Coastal zone prob- 

 lems are not limited to the natural sciences 

 but encompass the engineering and social 

 sciences as well. 



The relationship of the basic and applied 

 research programs in universities to State 

 administrative groups varies from State to 



