SUMMARY OF THE PROCEEDINGS 



The concept of pollution involves changes affecting the quality ot 

 life or resources. More often than not, however, the term pollution 

 connotes a value judgment of degradation. While most, if not all, defi- 

 nitions see pollution as being alterations, a difference exists in how 

 those changes are evaluated and in what sense the changes are indeed 

 considered pollution. What is a pollutant and pollution depends to 

 some extent on one's point of view, for example : Heat can be a water 

 pollutant or a source of warmed water for irrigation ; solid wastes can 

 be viewed as a disposal problem or as a source of raw materials. Clearly 

 then, the concept of pollution is affected by one's view of the poten- 

 tial pollutant, and what benefits or damages it may bring about. 



There is a growing concern that the dispersal of pollutants — every- 

 thing from DDT to monofiliament fishnets — is becoming worldwide. 

 Once a substance that is considered a pollutant has been produced, 

 either by man or by natural processes, unless it is contained at its 

 source it inevitably finds its way into the ocean ecosystem. Some sub- 

 stances enter the ocean through river runoff', others are transported 

 atmospherically, while still others are introduced into the ocean more 

 directly, as when a tanker breaks up at sea, or a vessel intentionally 

 discharges oil or pumps its bilges. 



Although the concentration of these pollutants generally diminishes 

 as a function of distance from industrial centers, their presence 

 throughout the oceans is now deemed to be inevitable. 



ACTIVITIES WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO OCEAN POLLUTION 



Waste heat disposal. — Primarily from electric powerplants, these 

 heated waters discharged into bays and estuaries of the coastal zone 

 can cause noticeable effects on the local biological community. 



Industrial effluent discharge. — In many nations, effluent discharge 

 continues unabated, with concomitant increase in industrial develop- 

 ment. 



Ocean dumping. — The practice of barging wastes to sea for disposal 

 constitutes another major source of ocean pollution. 



Air pollution. — The enormous discharge, as exhaust products, of 

 partially oxidized hydrocarbons and other noxious porducts of in- 

 complete combustion eventually find their way to the open ocean via 

 atmospheric transport and exchange across the air/sea interface. 



Marine mining. — Commercial mining of ferromanganese nodules 

 and offshore sand and gravel deposits is partly hindered by uncer- 

 tainty regarding the environmental impact of marine mining activities. 



Energy development. — Oil and gas exploration, development, and 

 transportation as well as the construction of floating offshore power- 

 plants and superports may be expected to have an increased impact on 

 the oceans. 



(V) 



