306. GEOCHEMICAL OCEAN SECTION STUDY: GEOSECS 



A global program for studying oceanic processes, GEOSECS in- 

 cluded the measurement of all important geochemicals and the study 

 of their relation to large-scale ocean circulation problems. The 

 Atlantic Ocean Study was held in 1972-73, the Pacific Ocean Study in 

 1974-75, and the Indian Ocean Study in 1975-76. The latter is also 

 referred to as INDOCHEM. Participating countries included Belgium, 

 Canada, Federal Republic of Germany, France, India, Japan, United 

 Kingdom, and United States. A GEOSECS Operations Group was known 

 as GOG. 



307. BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS PROGRAM: BEP 



Initiated in 1973, BEP, conducted by U.S. scientists, was 

 terminated in 1978. Its purpose was to evaluate sublethal low- level 

 effects of trace metals, petroleum, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and 

 phthalates on the growth, behavior, and biochemical processes of 

 several classes of marine organisms. 



308. GULF UNDERWATER FLARE EXPERIMENT: GUFEX 



An IDOE field program, GUFEX was designed to study the effects 

 of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons (C^ through C^q) O'^ marine 

 phytoplankton with program components involving the fates and trans- 

 fers of these hydrocarbons in and between the various geospheres and 

 the biosphere. It was conducted off the coast of Louisiana. 



309. POLLUTANT RESPONSES IN MARINE ANIMALS: PRIMA 



Initiated in 1978, PRIMA coordinates several of the efforts of 

 BEP with new products. It focuses on the development and evaluation 

 of a set of physiological, biochemical, and morphological criteria 

 that can be used to assess the health of marine animals. Results of 

 PRIMA will establish biological indicators that will provide an early 

 warning of pollutant stress in the marine environment. 



310. POLLUTANT TRANSFER PROGRAM: PTP 



Initiated in 1972, PTP is concerned with the processes that 

 transfer pollutants from land sources to the oceans and the movement 

 and concentration of pollutants in the oceans. Objectives include 

 the identification of important transfer pathways and mechanisms; 

 the evaluation of major environmental factors influencing transfer 

 processes; and the development of principles governing the transfer 

 of pollutants. 



311. SEA/ AIR CHEMICAL EXCHANGE: SEAREX 



SEAREX is a program to explore the sources and concentrations 

 of inorganic and organic, manmade and natural chemicals found in air 

 over the ocean; to find how these chemicals exchange with the sea; 

 and to find the rate they move from the air to the ocean and from 

 the ocean to the air. Major field experiments will begin in 1979 on 

 islands in the trade-wind belts of the North and South Pacific. A 

 sampling control system developed for the program and known as the 

 Automated System for the Control of Atmospheric Sampling (ASCAS) 

 will be connected to a computer-based Meteorological Integrating 

 Data Acquisition System (MIDAS). A study of particle transport into 

 the atmosphere by breaking bubbles will be carried out by using the 

 Bubble Interfacial Microlayer Sampler (BIMS), developed for the 

 program. France and United States are the participants. The Uni- 

 versity of Rhode Island serves as the SEAREX Data Analysis Center. 



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