The National Sea-Grant College and Program 

 Act of 1 966' provides a mechanism for supporting 

 the complex of coastal zone laboratories en- 

 visioned. First, the problems are not in the natural 

 sciences alone but in the social sciences as well. 

 Second, many of the problems are "applied" and 

 are in urgent need of a solution. Third, the state 

 has an important interest in the solution of these 

 problems and should be expected to share in the 

 research program. 



In the report of the Commission it is recom- 

 mended that the states take a more active role in 

 the planning and management of the coastal zone. 

 The states will need a cadre of well-trained 

 personnel, which the universities can provide, to 

 help manage these areas. 



A difficulty in many states today is lack of the 

 research resources necessary to assist effective 

 planning and managing. Such resources are usually 

 available to the Federal Government through Fed- 

 eral research laboratories and contracts and grants 

 to industry and universities. These coastal zone 

 laboratories should provide the studies and re- 

 search on which the state may base its manage- 

 ment decisions. 



Although the relationship of State government 

 to local universities differs from State to State, it 

 is usually closer than that between the State 

 government and Federal laboratories. The coastal 

 zone laboratories should be operated under the 

 Sea-Grant College program, which would provide 

 the necessary resources and expertise to the States 

 that they do not now have. The relationship 

 between a university laboratory and State govern- 

 ment will not and should not be identical with 

 that between a Federal agency and its research 

 laboratories. The States will have to maintain their 

 own management and enforcement system and in 

 some cases their own estuarine environmental 

 monitoring system. However, the resources of the 

 university coastal zone laboratories will be avail- 

 able for research, special studies, and assistance 

 just as are those of the agricultural experiment 

 stations and the extension services operated by 

 land-grant colleges. 



As in the case of the university-National labora- 

 tories, the coastal zone laboratories would not be 

 identical in size or scope. The complexity of the 



problem in the different states is in part at least a 

 function of geography and economics. It would 

 appear that Florida with a growing population and 

 with 1,350 miles of general coastline bordering 

 both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico 

 faces a greater range of problems than does New 

 Hampshire with a more stable population and 13 

 miles of general coastline.* States with the geo- 

 graphic coverage of California and Alaska will 

 probably need more than one such laboratory. 



The problems are sufficiently different from 

 State to State to require different groups studying 

 their local area, but there are many classes of 

 problems common to all and a degree of specializa- 

 tion within laboratories is not only inevitable but 

 desirable. A complex computer simulation model 

 may be developed for one estuary, but once 

 developed may have more general applicability. 

 The laws governing turbulent diffusion processes 

 are similar, even though their application may vary 

 considerably from case to case. 



Recommendation : 



A network of estuarine and coastal zone research 

 institutions should be established in association 

 with appropriate academic institutions to under- 

 take the basic and applied research on estuarine 

 processes so that State ana local governments can 

 have information on which to base management 

 procedures rationally. These facilities need not be 

 large in size but should have adequate facilities and 

 staff sizes exceeding the critical limit to maintain 

 stable programs. Their activities should be sup- 

 ported under the Sea Grant College Program. 



IV. FEDERAL LABORATORIES 



Federal laboratories are maintained by the 

 Department of the Interior (Bureau of Commercial 

 Fisheries, Federal Water Pollution Control Admin- 

 istration), Department of Commerce (Environ- 

 mental Science Services Adminsitratiori) and 

 others to work on problems of importance to the 

 mission of the agency. Not all of the research 

 needs of the Federal Government can be satisfied 

 by industry and the universities. Traditionally, 

 basic science has been done mostly in university 



'Public Law 89-688, Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 998, 33 

 U.S.C. 1121-1124. 



The Coastline of the United States, Department of 

 Commerce, Government Printing Office, 1968. 



1-5 



