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on the orientation of fish; are they attracted or repelled by this heavy 
metal? In some cases they are. If you have an area with a large 
amount of heavy metal, it is conceivable that fish are forced to move 
away, or to avoid the area. 
If you are driving to New York City, if you hit an area with heavy 
traffic or air pollution, both of these are forms of pollution, you try 
to avoid it. You try to take another road if you can. Oftentimes, how- 
ever, you cannot. It is the same with fish. Some fish must move into 
rivers and streams such as the Hudson River. If such bodies of water 
are polluted, fish might avoid the area. Actually, we really do not 
know how migratory fish find and move up streams. There is a big 
question mark in the minds of fish biologists today. 
We do know to the east of the New York Bight dump area there is 
a large body of cold water sometimes called the cold water lens or the 
cold water cell. We know that several species of fish are repulsed by 
cold water, and as they start to move into it, they tend to avoid it 
and move out. It may be this large wedge of cold offshore water ac- 
tually forces or funnels these fish into the polluted area. 
As I have said, many things can happen. If fish cannot find sufficient 
food, this may affect them. It may be that fish do ingest some of the 
prey found in marginally polluted areas. We know many of these prey 
animals take up heavy metals and pesticides, the type of toxic material 
associated with the dredge spoils and the sewer sludge dumping areas. 
It is quite conceivable that these materials enter the bodies of fish and 
eventually culminate in some human’s diet, someone’s fish dinner 
for the evening. 
There are several hundred species of fish which at one time or an- 
other occupy this area, and all of them are important. I have heard 
people say, “Well, the disappearance of one bird is of no consequence.” 
Kcologists know that this is extremely important. The disappearance 
of one species of bird can have a very important effect on the ecological 
environment. The same is true with fish. If one species of fish no 
longer occurs in an area, this may upset an entire marine ecosystem, 
and we know that there are species of fish no longer occurring in the 
New York area. The weakfish and sheepshead are today not repre- 
sented in our waters in any appreciable numbers. It is a great rarity 
for one of them to be caught. Such declines can be due to longrange 
changes in the climate but they can also be due to the increased stress 
which accompanies the pollution found in the New York Bight. 
Mr. Dineenn. Doctor, you have some studies that you have made 
on this pollution in this New York Bight, do you not? 
Dr. Pearce. Yes. 
Mr. Drvcexy. Both insofar as what it is and the effect of it on 
fish and wildlife, do you not ? 
Dr. Prarce. Yes, we do. 
Mr. Dincerx. The Chair is going to direct at this time that Mr. 
Everett, our counsel, work with you to secure such of those studies as 
will be useful to the record that we are having here. I am sure you 
will be able to cooperate fully with him on this matter, will you not? 
Dr. Pearce. Yes, we can furnish him with a copy of our interim 
report as well as other more recent documents. 
