Managing Troubled Waters

Reports of closed beaches, restricted shellfish beds, oil spills, and ailing fisheries are some of the recent evidence that our marine environment is in trouble. More than $133 million is spent on marine environmental monitoring annually in the United States, but officials still do not have enough accurate information to make timely decisions about protecting our waters.This book presents the first comprehensive overview of marine monitoring, providing practical information and a model for revamping the nation's marine monitoring apparatus.The volume explores current monitoring programs and whether or not they work; the benefits and limitations of monitoring; the critical need for greater coordination among local, regional, and national monitoring programs; and a recommended conceptual model for developing more effective monitoring programs.