1998 Year of the Ocean Perspectives on Marine Environmental Quality 



"... [MJan's fingerprint is found everywhere in the oceans. Chemical 

 contamination and litter can be observed from the poles to the tropics and from 

 beaches to abyssal depths. ..But conditions in the marine environment vary widely. 

 The open sea is still relatively clean... In contrast to the open ocean, the margins of 

 the sea are affected by man almost everywhere, and encroachment on coastal 

 areas continues worldwide... If unchecked, this trend will lead to global 

 deterioration in the quality and productivity of the marine environment." 



The State of the Marine Environment, 1989; 

 Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution 



INTRODUCTION 



Covering nearly three-quarters of the earth's surface, marine and coastal waters are the 

 earth's largest and most vital resources, influencing global energy cycles and biological 

 processes upon which all life depends. The ocean provides food, medicine, natural resources, 

 habitat, and essential ecological services, contributing to many valuable commercial, 

 recreational, and cultural opportunities. Each resource and service provided by the ocean relies 

 upon high marine environmental quality. The complexity and interdependence of these 

 resources, cycles, and biological processes are just being realized as answers are sought to 

 questions such as: 



• What are the existing conditions of marine environmental quality? 



• Are marine environmental conditions getting better or worse? 



• Are coastal and ocean ecosystems healthy? 



• Can the fish and shellfish be eaten? 



• Can swimming be permitted? 



• Is enough being done to manage environmental quality in marine and coastal waters? 



• Are there alternatives to traditional regulatory approaches that should be considered 

 in managing pressures (e.g., land-based sources of pollution and coastal development) 

 on the marine environment? 



• How will increases in human population, increases in consumption, and 

 improvements in technology affect the way people use the ocean, and what will be the 

 resulting impacts on marine environmental quality? 



• Can/should the assimilative capacities of the ocean be seen as the "ultimate sink" for 

 high-risk wastes from human activities? 



This paper will address marine environmental quality using a "pressure-state-response" 

 approach. "Pressure" is the demand placed upon the marine environment and its resources by 

 users, pollution, and land-based activities. "State" describes the current conditions resulting from 

 these pressures. "Response" is what is being done to address the pressures. For the purposes of 



E-2 



