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- No significant changes that could be related to drilling 

 activities were detected in the structures of the benthic 

 communities at the regional and site-specific stations. 



These are not unexpected findings. Georges Bank is fashioned to 

 allow rapid dilution of discharges into its waters. The mixing of the 

 pressure gradients of tides, currents and storm waves over a shallow 

 plateau leads to highly energetic mingling of the waters. The vertical 

 mixing renders nutrients in the water column available to all organisms; 

 thereby they produce the fisheries of Georges Bank. 



Because the monitoring has thus far shown the benthic conmunities 

 unaffected by initial exploratory drilling, the Task Force has made no 

 recommendations relative to Lease Sale #42 other than to continue the 

 monitoring in order to detect longer term effects, should such occur. 



The Department of the Interior is using the Georges Bank monitoring 

 program to help in the development of the agency's study-program policy. 

 In drawing up monitoring programs for other areas, particularly 

 high-energy ones, the work done on Georges Bank is particularly useful. 

 The results of such monitoring programs are valued in writing 

 environmental impact statements, which would be useful in protecting 

 areas of biological concern. 



