625 



(6) Subtle, nonlethal effects of waste products on physiological and 

 biochemical processes, such as enzyme induction or inhibition, ion 

 transfer across membranes, and chemosensitive reception should be 

 studied. Such effects may significantly influence the growth, repro- 

 duction, development, or survival of marine animals in ways not de- 

 tected by conventional assay or toxicity tests or population studies. 

 It is in this area of sublethal effects that ocean disposal of wastes 

 may encounter its most serious problems. 



The chemistry of specific pollutants 



(1) In view of increasing pollution by oil leakage and bilge wash- 

 ings from ships, by catastrophic events such as shipwrecks, and by 

 oil seepage and operating wells on the continental shelf, research is 

 needed on : 



{a) natural biochemical processes responsible for degradation 

 of oil films or oil droplets ; 



(6) techniques of analysis for detecting and characterizing low 

 concentrations of oil in water and for identifying sources ; 



(<?) the effects of different oil dispersants in degradation of 

 the oil, the toxicity of dispersant and dispersant-oil mixtures to 

 marine organisms, and the uptake of the oil, dispersant and/or 

 dispersant-oil mixtures in the food chain ; 



{d) the effects of added settling agents on bottom characteris- 

 tics and on benthos, and the fate of oil so deposited ; 



{e) fractionation of oil films on exposure to environmental in- 

 fluences, and the fate of residual materials in the sea ; and 



(/) the effect of oil films on the air-sea oxygen exchange ; and 

 interference in processes of biological productivity, such as 

 changes in light penetration and mixing. 



(2) The fluxes of synthetic organic chemicals into the ocean through 

 sewage outfalls, rivers, atmosphere and biota should be determined. 

 Priorities should be given to potentially hazardous or deleterious ma- 

 terials such as pesticides, detergents, fuel residues, certain solvents, etc. 



Chemical consequences of man's physical activities 



(1) The effects of human activities (such as forestry, agriculture, 

 terrestrial and marine mining, dredging, impoundments, etc.) on the 

 flow of inorganic suspended matter to the oceans and on the distri- 

 bution and character of the sediments should be determined. Among 

 the potentially significant effects are those on transparency of overly- 

 ing waters, oxygen demand f ro]n reducing sediments, transport or re- 

 lease of nutrients including trace elements, alterations of the benthos, 

 silting of harbors, and erosion of beaches. 



RECOMMENDATIONS COIJCERNING BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS 



Current waste disposal practices have often resulted in obvious de- 

 terioration of certain estuarine £ind coastal marine environments. Ade- 

 quate techniques are not at hand for definitive assessment of all of the 

 important impacts of wastes (iJicluding domestic and industrial efflu- 

 ents) imposed on coastal waters. Nevertheless, there is a strong sense 

 of urgency to adduce now what(iver useful information can be obtained 

 with existing methods. Four areas urgently need increased attention. 



( 1 ) Studies should be made immedately of existing outfalls and dis- 

 posal areas of a variety of ma|^itudes in several distinct marine bio- 



