productivity through the higher carnivores to the decomposers. Implied, therefore, is a 

 connotation of larger and more intense complicated before studies. Standardization of 

 investigation methods and instruments is needed for wider use of data, and greater 

 comparability between sets of data from different institutions. Standardization is gaining 

 ever-increasing importance among Federal agencies. Examples are the National Marine 

 Fisheries Service (Department of Commerce, NOAA) with their Marine Resource 

 Monitoring, Assessment, and Prediction System (MARMAP) and the Environmental 

 Protection Agency (EPA), with their background and environmental monitoring studies. 



b. Monitoring. The term monitoring is currently used in two senses in biology. The 

 first and conventional sense implies watching over an operation or activity to safeguard 

 conformity to set criteria. The second and more recent sense implies a long-term watch 

 over the normalcy or well-being of a segment of the environment. It is an unfortunate term 

 in either sense, because of its usually negative, watchdog connotation. It is the 

 conventional monitoring that concerns us here. 



The idea was previously developed of more positively oriented monitoring where 

 managerial and research responsibilities are included as well as watchdog activities. 

 Successful monitoring requires sampling at frequent intervals during activities to show 

 what effects the operation is having on the environment. Feedback of this information can 

 then be used to document the economical and environmental aspects of the operation for 

 use as a management guide. Monitoring personnel could gather and compile data of value 

 in before and after correlations and interpretations in predicting effects. Monitoring that 

 does not included research and management responsibilities is inefficient and wasteful in 

 normal operational situations. 



Sediment and turbidity studies should form a part of the during monitoring activities 

 just discussed, with additional study after the operation in and around the nourished beach 

 and borrow areas. Sufficient background on sediment studies is provided in the 

 bibliography compiled by Sherk and Cronin (1970), to show that these studies can readily 

 be carried out. Though not generally considered a cause of long-range harm, sedimentation 

 should be watched for possible short-term local effects. 



On the other hand, little is known about rates of filling of borrow areas. Such after 

 studies are needed for complete and effective environmental management and prediction 

 of effects in connection with engineering activities. 



Fill rates of borrow pits vary greatly from place to place. Governing factors are ill 

 defined but include: type of substrate, currents, and tides. Studies of a succession of life 

 forms during reestablishment of disturbed communities must also accompany observations 

 of physical factors. 



Observation of filling can be readily accomplished by use of scuba. Observations of the 

 biota would require biological training and the usual equipment for measurement and 

 assessment. It is possible that some studies would be long-term, but most would be 

 moderately short, project-oriented studies. 



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