Marine and Estuarine Shallow Water Science and Management

Abstract

This issue of Estuaries comprises selected papers from the first of a series of conferences held to explain the state of the science regarding regulating and managing shallow water habitats. The 16 papers contained in this volume were selected from more than 80 presented at the first Marine and Estuarine Shallow Water Science and Management Conference held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, March 8-11, 1994. A frequently repeated statistic maintains that by the year 2,000, nine tenths of the U.S. population will live within 50 miles of a coast. This increasing concentration of population along the shores of our waters will put added pressure on the aquatic ecosystems by conflicting usage requirements. Residential, industrial, commercial, agricultural and other interests along the shoreline require potable water and produce wastewater, thus potentially changing the water quality in the adjoining shallow water. Recreational users require both shallow and deeper waters to support swimming, boating, fishing, hunting and a myriad of other uses in the water or at its edge, thus increasing the pressure to dredge and/or fill adjoining shallow water habitats. Other types of recreation require land use and development such as golf courses, gun clubs, playgrounds, parks, etc. that do not actually use the shallow waters. Nonetheless these recreational land uses put demands on shallow-water habitats by increasing run-off or decreasing aquifer recharge, and changing the nature of the coupling among shoreline habitats, shallow-water habitats, and deeper-water habitats. Industries require deeper