are the nursery gounds for many marine organisms. How severely 
these and other environmental alterations affect the biota is unknown. 
Finally, if weather modification becomes a reality, we can anticipate 
large-scale alteration of the marine environment in ways never pos- 
sible previously. Changes in rainfall patterns on the land, shifts in 
wind distribution and changes in air temperature may produce per- 
sistent changes in near-shore salinity distributions, in patterns of 
wind-driven currents ana in water temperature distribution. Subtle 
changes as far as man is concerned in the physical environment may 
greatly affect biological populations. Invasion of west Greenland 
waters by Atlantic codfish and probably the recent disappearance for 
commercial purposes of California sardines are examples of what may 
result from natural environmental fluctuations or a combination of 
natural and manmade effects. 
3.4. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE 
Five courses of action should be undertaken by the Federal 
Government: 
1. Establish a system of marine wilderness preserves as an extension 
to marine environments of the basic principle established in the Wilder- 
ness Act of 1964 (Public Law 88-577) that “it is the policy of the Con- 
gress to secure for the American people of present and future genera- 
tions the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness.” In the pres- 
ent context, specific reasons for such preserves include: 
(a) Provision of ecological baselines against which to compare 
modified areas. 
(6) Preservation of major types of unmodified habitats for 
research and education in marine sciences. 
(ce) Provision of continuing opportunities for marine wilder- 
ness recreation. 
2. Undertake large-scale efforts to maintain and restore the quality 
of marine environments. Goals of these efforts should include increas- 
ing food production and recreational opportunities and furthering 
research and education in marine sciences. A multiple-use concept 
should be evolved for marine environments analogous to that used for 
many Federal land areas (see Public Law 88-607, sec. 5B). It should 
be emphasized that this concept includes the recognition that for some 
areas, such as wilderness, only one use is possible. 
3. Increase research on biological effects of present and anticipated 
marine-environment modifications. This research should take into 
account local, reversible, small-scale effects and large-scale, essentially 
irreversible, regional effects. Efforts should be made to predict bio- 
logical effects of proposed or planned modifications so the effects can 
be assessed and evaluated prior to modification. 
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