606' 



3. To assess feasibility of establishing seed stock populations, 

 transplantation experiments would be conducted with important 

 species and with species possessing excellent potential for enhanc- 

 ing bay environments. Particular attention would be given to 

 seaweeds such as eelgrass (Zostera marina) that frequently domi- 

 nate significant stretches of bay floor and provide important food 

 bases for animal communities. Animal species there are apt to 

 suffer seriously from construction and dredging during bay modi- 

 fication should also be studied. The transplantations would be 

 particularly valuable if they can follow actual dredging and con- 

 struction operations. 



4. Laborat/Ory cultures of potentially useful seaweeds would be 

 developed. Feasibility of transplanting large numbers of juveniles 

 or reproductive bodies (seeds, spores, etc.) from la;boratory cul- 

 tures to bay environments would be tested. The purpose of this 

 study is to develop techniques for establishing dense stands of 

 attached vegetation over large areas of bay bottom in a relatively 

 short time. If this can be done, the food bases for animal com- 

 munities in freshly created habitats could be brought into exist- 

 ence rather quickly and should greatly shorten the period for 

 recovery from operations of bay modification. Intensive work 

 would be done on two or three species known to be ecologically 

 desirable such as palm kelp {Eisenia arborea) and eel grass 

 {Zostera marina). 



5. Feasibility of conserving portions of populations presently 

 existing in upper Newport Bay would be studied. As ecological 

 re<5[uirements for the various species become catalogued, a basis 

 will be available for predicting survival in various habitats. Many 

 new environments will be created in upper Newport Bay (for 

 example, shallow underwater slopes of artificial islands). Some 

 of these probably could accommodate organisms presently in- 

 habiting areas that will become unsuitable. The practicality of 

 relocating entire populations will be influenced by several variables 

 (ability of the species to survive transplantation, costs of collect- 

 ing and then dispersing the population, etc.). Other study phases 

 of this project will provide the information required for making 

 decisions. 



Secttion 11. a Management Program for Kesearch and 

 Study in the Estuarine Zone 



The conflicts over estuarine use are described and documented earlier 

 in this report. It has been shown that development is proceeding so 

 rapidly that there will be little left to preserve and conserve unless an 

 effective program of comprehensive management is developed and 

 implemented immediately to protect the desirable natural qualities of 

 estuaries. A comprehensive management program can succeed only if 

 it is based on knowledge and understanding of the environment. This 

 knowledge, in turn, can be developed only through a program of re- 

 search and study in the estuarine zone. The purpose of this section is 

 to identify the principles on Which a technical management program of 

 research and study must be based and to propose the Federal and State 

 roles in implementing such a program. 



