192 
polluted by sewage and industrial wastes. The sediment-water inter- 
face in these areas has become permanently or intermittently anoxic 
(Wheatland, 1954). A specific example of this is the sewage sludge and 
dredge spoils dumping area in the New York Bight region. Fourteen 
square miles of sea floor at water depths of 60 to 90 feet have received 
domestic and industrial solid wastes from New York City for several 
decades. Figure 4 demonstrates that the water directly above the 
sludge is well on its way to becoming anoxic. The data were taken by 
the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Sandy Hook 
Laboratories and are plotted in the figure as the degree of oxygen 
saturation in the water. From this diagram, one can readily see the 
relevancy of the opening quotation. The environment can be pushed 
up to a certain limit; once this limit is exceeded rapid deterioration 
ensues. 
100 
05 
satuation 
in water 
above sludge 
bs 2 J a 
Q 
1) ee 
date measured = } 
(0) 
Figure: |} Oncoming of-anoxie conditions in the water over the sludge 
dump in:the New York Bight 
My concern is not the destruction or the effects of this destruction 
on 14 square miles of sea floor, but.rather the effects on the complexly 
interrelated ecological cycles in the surrounding coastal regions. For 
example, the land-sea interface (i.e., coastal waters) has greater bio- 
logical productivity and diversity than any other area in the world. 
Ryther (1969) has made estimates of fish production in ‘three major 
oceanic provinces: open ocean, coastal areas, and areas of upwelling: 
His results are summarized in table 2. It is obvious from this table that 
although coastal regions occupy less than 25 percent of the:total world 
ocean system, they produce 100 times more fish. The larger fish density 
is due tothe greater primary productivity (e.g., phytoplankton) which 
in turn is-related to greater nutrient concentrations in the:water.).) 
