enhanced toxic loadings, as would occur, for example, from the possible extension of the 
Boston Harbor outfall, on the Massachusetts Bay environment. 
Elevated concentrations of toxic contaminants in aquatic environments sometimes 
manifest themselves in elevated tissue concentrations in organisms, some of which we 
eat. For that reason, it is of interest from a public health perspective to determine the 
extent to which such edible tissues are contaminated. Data for lobsters, winter flounder, 
and clams taken from Boston Harbor are now beginning to be collected. Initial findings, 
with respect to metals, report that no recognizable human health problem is apparent. 
Human health should not be the only concern, however, when assessing the effects 
of contaminants in our nearshore coastal waters. For example, the concentration of 
copper in Boston Harbor reaches levels previously shown to exert noticeable effects on 
the biota in nearshore waters. These effects include inhibited bacterial and phytoplankton 
growth, change in succession of phytoplankton species, and reduced zooplankton fecundity 
(Hodson et al., 1979). Also, physiological mechanisms used by organisms to mediate 
effects of metal pollution have some metabolic cost. An example is synthesis of 
metallothionein, a metal-binding low-molecular-weight protein used by a variety of 
organisms to prevent metals from reaching critical cellular components such as enzymes. 
The synthesis of this protein requires energy that might otherwise be used for growth or 
other activities of the organism. Such effects are difficult to assess and even more 
difficult to understand in their influence on ecosystem dynamics as a whole. 
Frequently, the egg and juvenile stages of developing organisms in the near-shore 
coastal environment are the most susceptible to impact by metals. This fact may be of 
particular significance in Boston Harbor because of its importance as a spawning ground 
for winter flounder and the importance of the winter flounder fishery itself in the Harbor 
(Jerome et al., 1966). 
Eutrophication has been and continues to be a major concern in the disposal of 
sewage in coastal waters. Nutrient distributions and dynamics in Boston Harbor and 
Massachusetts Bay are essentially unknown. The existing data were generally obtained in 
the summer and are restricted to observations of either short temporal variations at 
specific sites (Fitzgerald, 1980) or semi-synoptic sampling. Seasonal variations, uptake by 
primary producers, and regeneration and storage in Harbor sediments have not been 
examined. Because the flux of nutrients to the Harbor will not decrease but may, in fact, 
be increased by applying secondary treatment, information on nutrient dynamics in the 
Boston Harbor/Massachusetts 3ay system is needed. Nutrient dynamics not only affect 
the biota, but are also critical in influencing pollutant transport and retention in both the 
sediments and water column. 
Officer and Ryther (1977) have presented data suggesting that secondary treatment 
of wastes followed by disposal in coastal waters with restricted circulation is less 
desirable than offshore disposal of untreated wastes, at least with respect to the impact 
on oxygen concentrations in the respective receiving waters. Data gathered in the 
preparation of Boston's 301(h) Waiver Application indicate occasional depressed oxygen 
54 
