OCZM MERGES WITH OCEAN MANAGEMENT

Fisheries DevelopmentTask Force Formed

NOAA/NMFS Developments

A Department of Commerce task forceon fisheries development policy has beenformed to examine problems affectingthe growth of the fishing industry in theUnited States. The Department-widetask force is under the leadership ofFrederick A. Schenck, Deputy UnrierSecretary of Commerce, and James P.Walsh, Deputy Administrator, NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Members of the fisheries industry andCongressional staff will be included inthe task force's work.

"The work of the FisheriesDevelopment Task Force is among themost important of current Departmentalactivities," said Schenck. "It will mobilizeour resources on behalf of an ind ustrywith considerable development potentialand show how the wide variety ofresources found in the Department andelsewhere can be integrated."

Walsh said that it has becomeincreasingly clear that if the UnitedStates is to take full advantage of theresources within the 200-mile fisheryconservation zone, government mustwork with industry in a cooperativemanner. "We must develop a capabilityto catch the fish that are available andsupplant the foreign fishing off ourshores," said Walsh. "In addition, there isa real need to develop the many resourcesfound off our coasts that are not beingused by anyone."

The benefits obtainable throughfisheries development are quitesubstantial. Scientists estimate that thereare enough fish and shellfish within theconservation zone to double or triple theamounts of seafood landed in the UnitedStates.

"A Tl increase of this size would provide

24

substantial benefits in terms ofemployment and gross national product,help to stabilize the fishing industry,decrease the rate of inflation in fisheryprices, and grel"tly reduce the UnitedStates' present $2.1 billion deficit ininternational trade of fishery products,"said Schenck.

The task force will develop: 1) Aproposed Executive Branch program forfisheries development; 2) a series of

background papers on major concernsthat must be considered in makingdecisions on the role of the FederalGovernment in fisheries development. Inaddition, there will be several investmentanalyses of selected individual fisheriesthat appear to have developmentpotential. These analyses will pinpointopportunities, specify constraints todevelopment, and propose options toeliminate these constraints; 3) a proposal

The Offices of Coastal ZoncManagement and Ocean Managementhave merged, according to NOAAAdministrator Richard A. Frank. Themerger, anticipated for some time,became effective I October on an interimbasis until formal documentation couldbe prepared and approved.

Robert Knecht, Assistant Administra­tor for Coa st11 Zone Ma nagement,becomes the Assistant Administrator forthe new office, and Samuel Bleicher,Director of the Office of OceanManagement, becomes the DeputyAssistant Administrator.

Since the Office of Coastal Zone

to streamline regulations which areburdensome or of questionable value tothe fishing industry; and 4) a fisheriesassistanre handbook that will explain theFederal resomces and services presentlyavailable to the fishing industry and howthey may be obtained.

In its work, the task force will study theresults of the Department's nearlycompleted Export and Domestic Market(Wexler) Study along with thebackground papers and investmentanalyses. The Wexler study is a year-longcomprehensive review of marketingopportunities for U.S. seafood productsin the United States and 15 majorfish and shellfish consuming nations inWestern Europe, Africa, and the FarEast. In addition, the study has identifiedthe major impediments to developmentof those U.S. resources with significantgrowth potential. The results of the task[0ree are scheduled to be available earlynext spring.

In addition to the Office of TheSecretary and NOAA, other majoragencies involved in the task force are theEconomic Development Administration,Industry and Trade Administration,Office of Science and Technology,Maritime Administration, Office ofMinority Business Enterprise, and fourof the Department's Regional ActionPlanning Commissions. Co-ordinationwith other <>genc;ies will take place asrequired.

Management is a legislatively mandatedname, the new office will still be calledOffice of Coastal Zone Management,although a revised name is expectedwhen the Coastal Zone Management Actis reviewed by the Congress this fiscalyear.

According to Frank, the merger waspartly a result of the similarity of theactivities of the two offices. "As theseoffices perform their fUTlctions," he said,"they found that interactions betweenthem were frequent and important."

Some programs, he said, like themarine sanctuary and estuarinesanctuary programs, were already

Marine Fisheries Review

Pittston Refinery Could Hurt Northeast Fishing

working closely together. Finally, Frankadded, the recent passage of the OuterContinental Shelf Lands Amendments,which give NOAA new responsibilities,led many to conclude that "now is theright time to establish a closerrelationship between these twoprograms."

Aron Heads MarineMammal. EndangeredSpecies Unit

William Aron, former Director of theOffice of Ecology and EnvironmentalConservation of the National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration(NOAA), has become Director of theOffice of Marine Mammals andEndangered Species in NOAA's NationalMarine Fisheries Service.

In his new post Aron has responsibilityfor coordinating the implementation ofthe Marine Mammal Protection and theEndangered Species Acts, bothconsidered critical for the protection andconservation of animals of concern tomany Americans.

Terry L. Leitzell, AssistantAdministrator for Fisheries for NOAA,said Aron, who has worked for the past 7years as NOAA's major adviser to theAdministrator on conservation affairs,brings a broad biological andoceanographic background into theposition.

Aron served in his previous position

William Aron

March /979

from 1971, working closely withconservation groups within and outsideof government. He has served on theScientific Committee of the InternationalWhaling Commission on behalf of theU.S. Commissioner since 1972, and wasthe U.S. Commissioner to theInternational Whaling Commission in1977.

Aron was Deputy Director of theOceanography and LimnologyPrograms. Smithsonian Institution,from 1967to 1971,andfrom 1961 to 1967

A cold, foggy estuary that spawnssome of the most important food fish onthe U.S. eastern seaboard should not bethe site of an oil refinery and marineterminal, the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration (NOAA)has said in a position statement to theEnvironmental Protection Agency. Theadverse effects of an oil spill on thevaluable commercial fishery for lobster,Atlantic herring, and other fish andshellfish could endanger these fisheries innorthern Maine, Nova Scotia, and NewBrunswick, as well as a large recreationalfishery for Atlantic salmon, NOAA saidin the statement.

The Pittston Company of New Yorkhas applied to EPA for a permit tocontruct a 250,000-barrel-a-day oilrefinery and associated marine terminalat Eastport, Me., on the St. Croix Riverestuary. Upon completion. it wouldreceive crude oil transported by 80million gallon carriers, and ship fuel oiland gasoline a board small coastaltankers and barges.

A Canadian study of potential refinerysites along the east coast of NorthAmerica terms the Passamaquoddy area"by far the least acceptable site evaluated,because of the recognized high value andvulnerability of its fisheries and aquatIcbird resources, and the navigationalhazards associated with tanker passage."

the NOAA statement said. A U.S. Inter­ageny task force study. evaluating69 sites from Maine to Florida,characterized the Eastport site as analternative exhibiting severe andunacceptable risks to aquatic species and

was Head of the BiologicalOceanography Program for the GMDefense Research Laboratories. Between1956 and 1961, he served as a Research

Assistant Professor. Department ofOceanography, University of Washing­ton.

Aron received his B. S. degree inBiology from Brooklyn College in 1952.his M.S. in Fisheries-Genetics in 1957,and his Ph.D. In Fisheries­Oceanography In 1960 from theUniversity of Washington.

to commercial fisheries resources.Together the Canadian and U.S. studiesconsidered 38 potential sites asenvironmentally superior alternatives,according to NOAA.

Eastport is on an island within theCobscook Bay! Passamaquoddy Baycomplex-a large, productive estuary onthe U.S.-Canadian border. Tides average18 feet and result in strong currentswithin narrow, winding channels andapproaches to the proposed refinery site.Wind conditions are frequently severe,and the area ex periences the highestfrequency of "fog days" found along theU.S. east coast. The entire northerncoastline of Maine is heavily indentedwith numerous bays, islands, peninsulas,rocky headlands, and submerged rocksor bars.

NEW BRUNSWICK

25

In the event of an oil spiLl, CobscookBay, P3ssamaquoody Bay, and­depending on the sizt> of the spill­portions "f the Bay of Fundy and theGulf of Maine rf\llld be offp.cted,acc;ording to the NOAA positionstatement.

The l'niq'le combination ot co'ld,nuuient· ri"h waters mly,ing in the c;oastalestuaries provide an ecosystem foundnowhere else on the east coast of theUnited States. This area also providesfood for oceanic species such as theendangered humpback, right, and finwhales as well as a number of othermarine mammals, the NOAA statementsaid.

Congress' New LawsAffect NOAA, NMFS

Twenty-nine new laws of interest toNOAA and NMFS were enacted duringtht> <J5th Congrt>ss, 2nd Session (calendaryear 1978), including several<,mendments to existing laws. Thosemost applicable to marine resources areoutlined below If specific informationconcerning a law is desired, a copy of thelaw should be obtained.

Merchant Marine Act Amendment(H.R. 9169), 7 April 1978, Public Law95­257. This law amends Title XI of theMerchant Marine Act of 1936 toauthorize the Secretary of Commerce toguarantee obligations up to 87 percent ofthe cost of constr'lcting or reconstrctingfishing vessels.

National Ocean Pollution Researchand Development and MonitoringPlanning Act of 1978 (S. 1617),8 May1978, Public Law 95-213. Thisestablished a program of ocean pollutionresearch, development, and monitoring;designating NOAA, in consultation withthe Office of Science and TechnologyPolicy, as the lead agency for pollutionresearch.

Central, Western, ood SOllth PacificFisheries Development Act Amendment(H.R. 11657), 16 Junt> IQ 7l5, Public Law95-295. This amends the Act to authorizethe Secretary of Commerr.e to carry out aprogram for the development of the tunaand other latent fisheries reSO'l"ct>s Of the

26

ceotral, western, and south Pacific Oceanin conjunction with the Pacific TunaDevelopment Foundation or some otherproposed agency or organization.NACOA Appropration for Fiscal Year1979 (H.R. 10823),29 June 1978, PublicLaw 95-304. This amended the Act of 5July 1977 and authorized appropriationsfor the fiscal year ending 20 September1979.

Fishery Conservation Zone TransitionAct Amendment (H.R. 12571), I July1978, Public Law 95-314. Variousrequirements of the FisheryConservation and Management Act of1976 were waived to permit fishermen ofthe United States and Canada tocontinue fishing off the coasts of eacpnation during the period ending 31December 1978.

Marine Mammal Protection ActAmendment (H.R. 10730), 10 July 1978,Public Law 95-316. This authorizedappropriations for the Department of theInterior, the Department of Commerce.and the Marine Mammal Commission tocarry out the Marine MammalProtection Act of 1972.

North Pacific Fisheries ActAmendments (H. R. 21637),28 July 1978,Public Law 95-326, and (S. 3551), 30October 1978, Public Law 95-553. P.L.95-326 amends the orth PacificFisheries Act of 195-1 to implement theProtocol Ameodinl1 the InternationalConvention f0r the High Seas Fisheriesof the North Pacific Ocean (lNPFC).signed 25 April In8. P.L. 95-553 makesminol technical amemlll1ents to P.L. 05326.

Agricultural Crrdit Act of 1978 (H.R.11504), 4 August 1978, Public Law 95­334. The act, among other things,amends the Consolidated Farm andRural Development Act to require theSecretary of Agriculture to makeemergency loans to applicants where theSecretary finds the applicant's farming,ranching, or aquaculture operations havebeen substantially affected by a naturaldisaster in the United States or by a majordisaster or emergency designated by thePresident under the Disaster Relief Act.

Fishery Conservation and ManagementAct Amendments/Joint Ventures (H.R.10732),28 August 1978, Public Law 95­354. This law authorizes $30 million f0radll1inistrati"n of the Fishery

Conservation and Management Act of1976 (FCM A) for fiscal year 1979. It alsoauthorizes the Secretary of Commerce toregulate foreign processing vessels thatreceive fish from U.S. fishing vesselswithin the fishery conservation zone bylimiting the issuance of permits to foreignprocessing vessels to those fisheries thatwill not be utilized by U.S. fishprocessors.

Outer Continental Shelf Lands ActAmendment of 1978 (S. 9), 18 September1978, Public Law 95-372. This lawrequires the establishment of a policy forthe management of oil and natural gasresources of the Outer Continental ShelfIn order to provide for rationaldevelopment of these resources of theOCS and to protect the marine andcoastal environment.

Fishermen's Protective ActAmendments (H.R. 10878), 18September 1Q78, Public Lll.W 95-376.This extends the insurance programcarried out pursuant to section 7 until 1October 1981; revises the program ofcompensation in section 10 for Americanfishermen who lose or have fishing geardamaged as a result of foreign fishingactivities in the U.S. fisheries zone; andprovides additional protection toendangered or threatened species of fishand wildife.

Farm Credit Act Amendment (S.3045), 10 October 1978, Public Law 95­443. This amends the Farm Credit Act of1971 to extend the maximum term forproduction credit association loans toproducers or harvesters of aquaticproducts from 7 to 15 years.

Anadromous Fish Conservation ActAmendments (S. 415), 17 October 1978,Public Law 95-464. This broadens thescope of the conservation programauthorized by the Anadromous FishConservation Act to include landlockedanadromous fisheries In LakeChamplain.

Port and Tanker Safety Act of 19/R (S.687.), 17 October 1978. Public La w 95­474. This amends the 1972 Ports andWaterways Safety Act to establishimproved Federal standards governingnavigation and vessel safety and theprotection of the marine environment.

Antarctic Fauna and FloraConservation (H. R. 7749), 28 October1078, Public Law 95-541. This Act

M{1ril1P Fisherips R, ,'ipH'

directs the Director of the ationalScience Foundation to establish a permitand regulatory system to control: I) Thetaking of animals and plants native toAntarctica; 2) the introduction ofnonnative species into Antarctica; 3) thedisposal of pollutants in Antarctica; and4) the activities of the United Statescitizens in certain areas of Antarctica.Also, the Act amends the Fishermen'sProtective Act to clarify that a vessel'sdocumentation or certification underU.S. laws would not be affected ifcommanded by a person other than acitizen of the United States during any

fishing voyage beyond the U.S. fisheryconservation zone. This amendment \\asretroactive to I January 1978.

Federal Water Pollution Control ActAmendments (H.R. 12140),2 November1978, Public Law 95-576. This Act is anauthorization for appropriations forcertain water pollution control programsof EPA.

Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act(H.R. 2329), 8 ovember 1978, PublicLaw 95-616. Among other things, theAct authorizes the Secretaries of

Commerce and the Interior to enter intoformal cooperative agreements with

states and other Federal agencies forenforcing fish and wildlife laws and toestablish and conduct programs to trainpersonnel in enforcement matters.

Endangered Species Act Amendment(S. 2899), November 1978, Public Law95-632. This amends the EndangeredSpecies Act by establishing a reviewprocedure and an interagency committeeto resolve conflicts between endangeredand threatened species and actions ofFederal agencies, and to determinemitigation and enhancement measures toconserve endangered and threatenedspecies.

Fish Egg Chromosome Divisions Sensitive to Contact With Oil

Longwell, a biologist andthe U.S. Department ofNational Oceanic and

After being spawned, the buoyant eggsof many valuable marine fishes float to

the surface of the sea where they remainuntil hatching. The thin surface layer inwhich they are found is subject topollution from the atmosphere, runofffrom the land, and oil spills, and retainsand concentrates materials andchemicals that are specifically toxic: todividing cells and that may cause deadlychanges in chromosomes

Selected fish eggs taken fromNantucket Shoals waters after the Ar~o

Merchant oil spill, some dead and somedying, were found to contain arrestedand abnormal chromosome divisionsprobably caused by pollutants. There ismounting evidence that oil is toxic to theeggs and larvae of some fish, especially inthe early, fragile stages, but the absenceof baseline information on normaldevelopment of fi~h eggs in relativelyclean waters and their natural mortalitydoes not permit a full assessment.

The normal development of cells ofany species (mitosis) begins with theprecise division of the combinedchromosomes of the male gamete(sperm) and female gamete (egg). Theembryo must have a balanced set ofchromosomes for normal developmentto occur. Environmental influences thatupset this balance may cause abnormalor arrested development as the cellsmultiply, and death is usually the endresult. Therefore, abnormalities in thechromosome makeup during the earlyembryo stage are probably the most

March 1979

sensitive, practical indicators of theeffects of marine pollutants onreproduction in fish.

Crude and refined oils have manycompounds, some of which are soluble inlipid materials (fatty substances) presentin fish eggs. Benzene and polynucleararomatic hydrocarbons (having an odor)can change the hereditary materiaL andcause the development of tumors andmalignant growths. These compounds ofoil appear to alter the surface propertiesof cell membranes; however, paraffinhydrocarbons do not. Dividing cells thatdevelop into male and femalereprod uctive cells of some fish areparticularly susceptible to abnormal

chromosome separation, and tomutations in the genes.

A new methodology for the study ofchromosomes and their divisions in fisheggs sorted from plankton collected atsea was developed whereby the eggs ofcertain marine fishes are identified byspecies and then separated according totheir developmental stages. The embryosare dissected from the eggs, their cellsflattened into monolayers, and theirdividing chromosomes viewed underhigh-resolution, high-power. lightmicroscope optics. At their mostsensitive stages, most eggs of Atlanticmackerel from the heavily polluted NewYork Bight did not survive (Longwell,1976).

A. Crosbygeneticist ofCommerce,

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),working in NOAA's National MarineFisheries Service, Northeast Center.Milford Laboratory, in Milford, Conn ..and colleagues have worked together ininvestigating the way~ petroleumhydrocarbons affected the developmentof fish eggs in oil-polluted waters afterthe Argo Merchant spill on antucketShoals, December 1976 1• Longwellconcludes that there IS mountingevidence that oil is toxic to fish eggs andlarvae, and may be lethal to, or adverselyaffect, their normal celllJlar diviSion.

However, this researcher cautions thatnot enough is yet known about whetherfactors in clean, unpolluted marine watermay also limit normal division. Morebaseline data are needed for meaningfuland significant comparisons to be made.

Cod and pollock eggs were taken fromsurface waters near the Argo Merchantoil spill (December 1976) and examinedfor oil. About 80 percent of the tanker'scargo was: o. 6 fuel oil. which formed"pancakes" that remained on the surfaceand increased in size with time. Theremaining 20 percent (No.2 oil) was a lessviscous but more toxic fuel, which hadconcentrations of up to about 250 partsper billion (ppb). Maximumconccntratlons were from I.X to 3.0 m (5.9to 11.8 feet) below the pancake slicks.

'I.ongwell. A. Crosby 1977. A genetic look atfish eggs and oil. Ocpa17/1S 20(4):46-58.

27

KUhnhold, W W 1972. Investigations on thetoxicity of crude oil extracts and dispersionson eggs and larvae ofcod and herring. Ph. D.Thesis. University of KieL Federal Republicof Germany

LongwelL A. C 1976. Chromosome mutagen­esis in developing mackcrel eggs sampledfrom the :'\ew York bight. NOAA Tech.Memo. FRL MESA 7, U.S. Oep. Commer.,Washington, D.C.

Mirono\, O. G. 1969. Hydrocarbon pollutionof the sea and its influence on marine organ­isms. Helgo!. Wiss. Meersunters 17:JJJ5­JJJ9.

Literature Cited

Chromosomes of an Atlantic mackerel eggsampled from ocean survace waters.

soluble component of crude oil, on theeggs of Pacific herring.

Apparently, damage to the zygote(united reproductive cells) at thechromosome and cellular levels occurswhen early stage fish eggs are exposed tooil and oil fractions. Until this study,planktontc fish eggs have not beenexamined with respect to theirchromosomes and their divisionconfigurations.

Thus, classical genetics provides someexplanations on the mortality of fisheggs, and can be a means of monitoringthis most fragile link in the life cycle offishes in their natural habitat. Yet, afuller understanding of the naturalmortality offish eggs and larvae is neededbefore the effects of marine pollution onthe reproductive cycles of fishes can befully understood.

These pollock eggs, In the tail-bud and tail-freeembryo stages, were sampled at the edge ofthe Ar~() Machan! oil slick The eggs at upperleft and lower right have outer membranescontaminated with oil (arrows). The uncon­taminated egg at upper right hm, a malformedembryo, and that at lower left is collapsed andalso has a malformed embryo.

the Argo Mercham spill were lessprevalent within the area of the slicksthan at points further removed.However, the absence of baselines forpurposes of comparison makes itimpossible to assess fully the significanceof the cod and pollock findings from theArgo Mer('ham spill area.

In the same light, no laboratory studieshave been made of the effects of oil on thechromosome divisions of developing fishembryos. However, it has been shown(Klihnhold, 1972) that cod eggs in ahatchery were most sensitive to theeffects of some crude oil extracts duringthe first few hours after fertilization.Development was retarded and, in someinstances, hatching was delayed or didnot occur. Most of the hatched youngwere abnormally developed, swamerratically, and died after a few days.

Other researchers have shown thateggs of turbot, plaice, anchovy,scorpionfish, and sea parrot areadversely affected by concentrations ofaround I part per million or lower, of oilin water (Mironov, 1968, 1969, 1972). Itwas found (Struhsaker et aI., 1974) thatthe development of abnot mal embryoswas the principal effect of benzene, a water-

..This photomicrograph shows an embryo dis­sected from a planktonic mackerel egg after itsfirst division (mitosis) into two cells. It is thistelophase (final stage of mitosis) that is used toappraise chromosome breakage. irregular dis­tribution of chromosomes, and other physio­logical disturbances to the cell and chromo­some division process.

All samples taken at a number ofstations within and adjacent to thefloating slicks showed somecontamination. About half of all the fisheggs examined had ot! droplets and taradhering to their outer membranes(chorions). Fewer cod eggs were fouledthan those of pollock.

To determine the effects of the oil andtar on the chromosomes and theirdivisions as they affect cell hered ity of thedeveloping embryo, the newmethodology was applied to a study ofthe field-exposed eggs (79 cod and 162pollock) sampled near the ArKo

Merchant oil spill. Also examined were75 uncontaminated cod embryos fromaquarium-held fish.

About 20 percent of the cod eggs and46 percent of the pollock eggs collected atsea were dead or dying with theirchromosome divisions arrested, Only 4percent of the uncontaminated cod eggsfrom the laboratory aquarium were deador dying with arrested divisions. Somepollock embryos from stations near theslicks were grossly malformed; none weremalformed in samples taken at distantlocations. Also, the hatched larvae of thesix different species of fish sampled near

28 Marine Fishaies Rel'iew

1969. The development of someBlack Sea fishes in sea water polluted bypctroleum products. ProD. Ichthyo!.. 9:919­922.

/972. Biological resources of thesea and oil pollution. PeschchevayaPromyshlennosl. Moscow. 105 p.

Struhsaker. J W.. M B. Eldridge. and TEncheverria. 1974. Effects of ben/ene ( awater-soluble component for crude oil) oneggs and larvae of Pacific herring and north­ern anchovy. In F. J. Vern berg and W. B.Vern berg (editors), Pollution and physiol­ogy of marine organisms. Academic Press,N.Y.

New InternationalWhaling Quotas Set

The International WhalingCommission agreed in late December toeliminate sperm whaling completely inone area of the southern hemisphere andalso voted to reduce sperm whale quotasdrastically in the north Pacific.

Calling the results of the two­day meeting in Tokyo "a significantvictory," Richard A. Frank, U.S.Commissioner to the IWC andAdministrator of the National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration, stated:"We are pleased that the Commission hasacted vigorously to curb whaling forsperm whales. The United States wouldhave preferred and strongly urged acomplete elimination this year of spermwhaling in the North Pacific. However,we believe that the substantial reductionvoted by the Commission will mean theend of pelagic whaling in this region byJapan."

In 1978, sperm whale quotas were setat 561 for Division 5 of the southernhemisphere (an area from the equator tothe Antarctic, and long. 90° E to long.130° E), and at 6,444 in the north Pacific.The Commission's action set amoratorium on whaling in Division Sandred uced north Pacific quota to 3.800 for1979, a cut of more than 40 pe'rcent. TheCommission further established a zeroquota for female sperm whales in thenorth Pacific, although it did allow anaccidental catch of slightly more than 400females to be counted against the totalquota.

The Commission also passed twostrongly worded resolutions introducedby the United States, calling for a

March /979

prohibition of trade in whale productsand implementation by the member andnonmember nations. "If fully adheredto," Frank predicted, "these resolutionswill go a long way toward bringing allwhaling operations under effectiveinternational regulations."

Frank expressed caution andoptimism about the possibility of futureconservation gain in the WhalingCommission: "The progressive reductiOlTin quotas is encouraging. Progress in theCommission to achieve a totalmoratorium on whaling is not as fast aswe would like, but the Commission iscontinuing to move in the right directionfor red ucing quotas, as thus providingbetter protection for the great whales.

Steps Taken To ProtectSea Turtles in Florida

Emergency fishing regulationsdesigned to protect turtles hibernating inthe Port Canaveral avigation Channel,Cape Canaveral, Fla., were published inlate ovember by the ational Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration( OAA).

The Commerce Department agency'sNational Marine Fisheries Service, in theregulations, prohibited fishermen fromusing trawl gear in the channel watersuntil 19 March when the emergencyregulations expire. It is believedloggerhead and Kemp's ridley sea turtleshibernate there between November andMarch. Public hearings were alsoscheduled to determine' whether theregulations should be modified orextended.

The emergency regulations followedreports that last year shrimp vessels hadcaptured large numbers of loggerheadsea turtles incidental to trawling in thechannel. A survey by the NMFS inFebruary and March 1978 confirmed thepresence of the hibernating turtles, andadditional surveys are now beingconducted to obtain more informationon them. The turtles are protected by theEndangered Species Act of 1973.

Under the regulations, trawling wasprohibited in those parts of the channelknown as the middle basin, east basin,

inner reach, and that part of the dredgedchannel beyond the outer reach to a point1.5 nautical miles beyond buoys "R T'and "R 8."

Dieldrin, Endrin Levels"Very Low" in Fish offSoutheast U.S. Coasts

An analytical study completed recentlyby the Utilization Research Division,NMFS Northwest and Alaska FisheriesCenter, Seattle, Wash., showed that thedieldrin and endrin content of threespecies of fish, red snapper, kingmackerel, and Spanish mackerel, caughtoff the southeastern coasts of the UnitedStaes was very low. The data constitutepart of a survey by the UtilizationResearch Division of chlorinatedhydrocarbon residues in the edible tissueof fish from the Atlantic Ocean and Gulfof Mexico.

Although the three species werepreviously determined to have thehighest DDT and PCB levels of sixspecies analyzed, only one-third of the 46samples of snapper mackerel containedquantifiable amounts of either dieldrin orendrin. The highest level was 0.026 ppm,less than one-tenth of the FDA toleranceof 0.3 ppm. The details are tabulatedbelow.

Dieldrin and endrln In fish trom the southeastern U.S.coast.: _

DieldrinJ.e.e.":'l Endrin (ppm)

Species No.' ..M.ean Range Mean R~Redsnapper 18 n.d 1 n.d.-0.OO2 n.d. n.d.-<J.OO3

Kingmackerel 18 0005 n.d.·0.026 0.004 n.d.-<J.014

Spanishmackerel 10 0007 nd -<J014 0008 n d.-<J.026

'Number of compOSites, each consisting of 10 fish.'n.d.=none detected

Scientists Seek FoodFrom Saltwater Plants

Sea Grant scientists at the Universityof Delaware are attempting to produceedible plants that will grow in saltwater

29

with the potential of becoming a foodcrop. The investigation-one of severalsupported by a $890,000 Sea Grant fromthe National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA)-is focusing onhalophytes, grass-like plants that grownaturally in salty soils. Initial efforts arepointed towards identifying whichhalophyte species produce large andabundant seeds, and have the potentialfor managed production. The CommerceDepartment agency grant is beingsupplemented by $701,100 in non­Federal funds.

Other Sea Grant researchers at theUniversity are testing a small, simplesystem to use sea wave energy inconverting saltwater to fresh.Preliminary estimates suggest the costwould be only slightly greater than thatmost suburban U.S. homeowners pay forwater.

Under NOAA grants, Delawarescientists and engineers have designed aunique, controlled mariculture system

for growing oysters and clams, and hopeto grow oysters to market size in less thana year, compared with 3 years in thewild. Maricultured clams also grow tomarket size significantly faster than dowild clams.

Prince William SoundEcosystem Study Starts

National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA) scientists havebegun an ecosystem study of Alaska'sPrince William Sound to giveenvironmental managers informationneeded to anticipate and ease theecological pressures created by NorthSlope oil shipping and expandedcommercial development in the area.

Initially funded by OAA and theEnvironmental Protection Agency, theproject is expected to last about 5 years.Field work deals initially with

understanding and minimizing theprobable environmental impacts of oilspills in the area.

"What makes this study unique is thatwe're able to begin it at a stage of minimalhuman impact," NOAA CorpsLieutenant Christine S. Carty, actingmanager of the Anchorage-basedproject, explained. This means there is agood chance for the Sound's beauty andvitality to be preserved, she said.Continuing development of the naturalresources of Alaska and the Soundpromises to build up the sparselypopulated area of Alaska's south coast,although the rate of economic growth isdifficult to predict, according to Carty.

The Prince William Sound effort is thethird major coastal study undertaken bythe Marine Ecosystems Analysis(MESA) Program, part of NOAA'sEnvironmental Research Laboratories inBoulder, Colo. The other two focus onPuget Sound and on the ocean area offthe New York-New Jersey coast.

Marine Recreational Angling Survey Begun

The National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration hasawarded contracts totaling $1.3 millionto Human Sciences Research, Inc.,McLean, Va., and Clapp and Mayne,Inc., San Juan, Puerto Rico, to collectdata on the fish catch by marinerecreational anglers. The survey is beingconducted for the National MarineFisheries Service.

The recreational fishery statisticalsurvey will be done on the Atlantic andGulf coasts, Hawaii, Guam, American"Samoa, Alaska. Puerto Rico. and theVirgin Islands. The results of the survey. tobe conducted between I November 1978,and 31 October 1979. will be available inFebruary 1980. The Virginia firm wasawarded a $1,192,404 contract, while theSan Juan company's contract was for$117,924.

The survey will provide estImates ofparticipation, catch, and effort by marinerecreational anglers for eachgeographical region and State in thesurvey. Included will be information onfinfish and selected shellfish by species.

30

by State or region, the number of marineanglers, number and length of fishingtrips, number of days spent fishing, totalcatch by weight and numbers. methodof fishing used and what the anglers did

with their catch. The informationobtained during the survey will be used inthe development of fishery managementplans by the Regional FisheryManagement Councils.