Preface 



WEBSEC-71 and 72 (Western Beaufort Sea Ecological Cruise — 1971 and 

 1972) are a series of cruises to the Alaskan Arctic to survey the state of the 

 marine environment and its associated biota. The main objective is to study the 

 coastal waters of the Western Beaufort Sea with particular emphasis on the 

 area near Prudhoe Bay. It is hoped that the physical, chemical, biological, and 

 geological data acquired on these cruises will contribute to an understanding 

 of the marine ecosystem in a relatively unpolluted state so as to provide a base 

 for assessing the affects of pollution from future increases in resource de- 

 velopment, extraction and transportation, especially from petroleum. 



This oceanographic report is intended to be a compilation of the preliminary 

 results and interpretations of WEBSEC-71 and 72. This data should provide a 

 source document to be used as a basis for future research concerning the 

 marine ecosystem of the Western Beaufort Sea. 



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