4. INVESTIGATIONS OF BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND EFFECTS 



Most studies of the biological effects of oil have been done in labora- 

 tory or in nearshore areas. Extensive field studies that distinguish real 

 effects from naturally occurring ecosystem variability are virtually non- 

 existent. 



Although before-after studies can be designed to assess the impact of 

 predictable events, such as oil drilling on the Continental Shelf and ocean 

 dumping of wastes, adequate studies of this nature are lacking, because it is 

 both difficult and expensive to plan and execute these investigations given 

 the limitations of time and available funding. 



The grounding and breaking of the Argo Merchant and subsequent ground- 

 ings of other oil tankers on the Continental Shelf are dramatically illus- 

 trative of events that are not predictable. For example, during the past 18 

 months, the Northeast Fisheries Center has been requested by responsible 

 officials — local, state and federal — to assess the impact of four major 

 environmental incidents on the fishery resources of the northeast Continental 

 Shelf. In each of these incidents, special studies were mounted to assess 

 the impact on the environment and living resources. These efforts, however, 

 were of limited duration, and little information on the baseline conditions 

 or health of the stocks is available. We are dealing with a complex ecosys- 

 tem that reauires a combination of short-term tactical observations that can 

 be evaluated against a background of long-term baseline information on the 

 condition and health of fish and shellfish stocks. 



In order to effectively deal with these problems a program is needed 

 that (1) encompasses the coordination of studies of various groups and 

 agencies, (2) provides for the fundamental and long-term study of the ocean 

 ecosystem that is ultimately necessary, and (3) produces suitable information 

 for interim or near-term policy guidance and decision making. 



An integrated field approach is necessary, which couples in-depth "pro- 

 cess oriented" studies at specific sites with long-term monitoring of pro- 

 ductivity of fish stocks. 



At present, no single program exists that can accommodate these objec- 

 tives. However, NMFS, NOAA, is developing a plan to monitor and assess 

 selected systems and biological and environmental parameters that are criti- 

 cal indicators of the state of health of the ocean. The plan calls for a 

 long-term federal effort to acquire, process, analyze, and disseminate in- 

 formation concerning the condition, stability, and productivity of marine 

 populations. 



4.1 Fisheries Investigations 



The impact of the Argo Merchant oil spill on the fish and shellfish 

 stocks of Nantucket Shoals and southern Georges Bank is difficult to assess 

 in the short term of 2 months. The National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) 

 NOAA, has been conducting semiannual surveys of groundfish from the Gulf of 



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