Ocean waste disposal monitoring--Can it meet management needs?

Ocean Waste Disposal monitoring programs generally measure a) the rate of introduction of contaminants to the ocean environment, b) the concentrations of the contaminants of concern in the discharge environment, and c) the composition of biological populations within the discharge ecosystem. Monitoring of inputs provides basic information needed for marine waste disposal management simply and reliably. Monitoring of the concentrations of contaminants of concern in the discharge environment is difficult because of the great natural variability encountered, but when properly performed can provide valuable management information. However, monitoring of the composition of biological populations within the discharge ecosystem fails to provide useful information for the management of marine waste disposal except where intensive pollution causes catastrophic ecological changes.