PREFACE 



In June 1955, when marine scientists at the University 

 of Southern California were called upon to conduct an 

 oceanographic survey of Santa Monica Bay, sanitary engineers 

 considered that by disposing sewage five miles from the 

 shore the effluent would be adequately diluted by the 

 great volume of sea water available, and that such dilutions 

 would eliminate any health hazard on the adjacent shores. 

 Within a few months, however, it was necessary to change 

 this philosophy, for by this time it had been determined 

 from numerous current measurements that the ocean in 

 Santa Monica Bay moved too slowly to give dilutions of 

 greater than 1:100 despite the method of mechanical 

 diffusion used D 



It was essential, therefore, that the scientists 

 at the University initiate a program to investigate the 

 rate of disappearance of coliform bacteria from sea water, 

 and to determine the direction and net flow of the ocean 

 currents in the bay B These parts of the eventual over- 

 all program were begun in September 1955 and completed in 

 July 1956„ New techniques were devised and used for the 

 first time at sea, and the results were believed to be 

 highly successful,, 



Nearly 1,500 stations were occuppied by the M/V 

 VELERO IV, the University's research vessel, during the 

 year. Some of the stations were occuppied for only a 

 short period and for one purpose, while at other times, 



