Estuaries and Coastal Waters Need Help

Marine disposal of municipal and industrial sludge, wastewater and dredged material was causing increasing environmental degradation of estuaries and coastal sites which were important areas for the life cycle of marine organisms. The marine environment was also altered by agricultural and rural runoff, river channelling and changes in land use. Federal regulations were based on the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act and the Clean Water Act which were only partly implemented and did not provide complete protection. A framework for developing a supplementary management programme for site specific problems could be developed by applying the water quality approach to estuaries and coastal waters.