H. L. Sanders, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole. 

 G. R. Hampson, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole. 

 M. P. Morse, Northeastern University, Marine Science Institute, 



Nahant . 

 T. Novitsky, Energy Resources Company, Cambridge, Mass. 

 W. Tiffney, University of Massachusetts Field Station, Nahant. 

 Students (2) and assistants (3) . 



Sampling Design 



The design that emerged from these and other discussions during the 

 ensuing 24 hours, modified slightly by practical experience on Nantucket in 

 a storm in December, was as follows: 



Sampling was restricted to 4 transects, three that had a high proba- 

 bility of being oiled in the immediate future and a fourth that was repre- 

 sentative of the biotically rich embayments of the area. The sites were: 



(1) The ocean beach adjacent to the LORAN Station. This is a place of 

 sand deposition, where floating organic matter normally accumulates both in 

 the surf and on the beach. If oil were present nearby, it would probably 

 accumulate here. 



(2) The north shore beach near Capaum Pond, a place chosen because it 

 is representative of the northern shore and is easily accessible. 



(3) The Eel Point Marsh on the western tip of the island. If oil were 

 to reach the southern shore of Nantucket, it would almost certainly be car- 

 ried into Maddaket Bay and ultimately reach this southward-facing marsh and 

 the bay adjacent to it. 



(4) Nantucket Harbor adjacent to the University of Massachusetts Field 

 Station. The harbor supports an extremely rich shellfish harvest, especially 

 scallops. The benthic sediments were sampled to provide baseline data in the 

 event of oiling. Due to poor weather only two sets of samples were obtained 

 from this site. 



At the beach and marsh sites the sampling was by transects with stations 

 selected to include major life zones, especially the high-strand line, the 

 midbeach zone, and the low-tide zone. 



The need for extending the sampling below the low-tide zone was recog- 

 nized, but no sampling could be done at that time except in the bay. 



Samples were taken as follows, and in quintuplicate insofar as possible: 



Oil . (a) On the beach sites, five 1-dm^ plots 5 centimeters deep were 

 collected into separate bottles from each of three sites along the transect 

 (T. Novitsky, ERCO) ; (b) specially prepared 20-liter carboys were filled with 

 water from the harbor and beach (T. Novitsky, ERCO); and (c) a visual survey 

 for oil, tar balls, traces of asphalt or other evidence of petroleum contami- 

 nation was carried out along at least a mile of beach at each sice sampled. 



V-41 



