"For the last 20 years, the mission of the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project has been to increase scientific knowledge of the marine ecology, thereby insuring protection and conservation of these resources. To provide focus, organization, and continuity to this research, it was necessary to establish four main areas of activity: Sources, Fates, Effects, and Communications. Additionally, we set out to develop and implement a program that would set long-term goals and provide a broad-based, regional perspective of the problems associated with ocean pollution. The following research plan is a continuation of the five-year plan initiated in 1986."--Introduction (leaf 2).