in fact they work cooperatively, don't duplicate, and also that 
we then start looking at holes so if there are holes where we 
need information, in order to fill some of the gaps that were 
mentioned, then we can start going back and plugging them in the 
budget process, which we haven't done yet. 
So my sense would be that while you may need a new institu¬ 
tion to work on the management problems, certainly don't sepa¬ 
rate it from the water quality so that all of a sudden we've got 
the possibility of going two separate ways again when we're just 
starting to pack the people together. Because if there's one 
thing we've heard today, it's that we don't have the linkages 
between water quality and resource productivity. And those two 
are linked somehow even though we can't define them today. 
Dr. Thomas: I think, if I'm not speaking out of turn 
here, I think that NOAA really is interested in working with the 
EPA, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the states and so on to 
provide that linkage, that linkage between habitat and quality 
and effects on the stocks, the living stocks, so that ultimately 
the point and non-point source loadings can be regulated in such 
a way that we know what the impacts are on the living marine 
resources. 
I don't think the general public is as interested in the 
habitat quality as they are in the living marine resources. So 
we would like to work with the other agencies and institutions 
involved in order to further that relationship for more suitable 
management. 
Dr. D'Elia: Some questions? Yes, Joe? 
Dr. Joseph Mihursky, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory: I 
want to address this question to Bill. And I'd like to ask this 
question of certain members of the panel. 
Senator Mathias in his efforts pointed out the need to not 
only have EPA involved in the Bay, but also have NOAA involved, 
so you have the legislature forcing, you know, a water quality 
oriented organization and a living resource agency to come 
together on the Bay. 
Similarly, at the State level. Senator Fowler had a bill 
passed that Health and Hygiene and DNR must get together and 
provide the Legislature with a report on the monitoring efforts 
for the Bay. 
What I'd like to ask is would the agencies have done that on 
their own, or was it necessary for the political process to 
force it? 
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