The Coastal Zone: Problems with Man's Uses.

Discusses the importance of estuarine waters and the damage done by man's activities. Coastal waters are at least twice as productive as farmland. U.S. fishermen alone harvested nearly 5 billion pounds of fish in 1971; sea farming (aquaculture) is expected to develop rapidly. But can marine life survive the damage of coastal mining, oil production, dredging, dam construction, waste disposal and runoff, and modification of river flow? In addition to specific pollution, all these activities and others result in (1) lowering the dissolved oxygen content of the water, (2) increased turbidity, depriving marine life of needed sunlight, (3) alteration of current patterns and of natural sedimentation, leading to suffocation and even burial of some creatures, (4) alterations of water salinity, (5) alterations of temperature, especially of water used for cooling powerplants, and (6) contaminants that further deplete the oxygen supply and/or overfertilize the area, leading to eutrophication. Pathogens from human and animal wastes are a serious problem. We cannot depend on natural resiliency to overcome such huge problems. 13 pp. Bibliog.