An annual cycle study of biological, chemical, and oceanographic phenomena associated with the Agana ocean outfall

Jones, Robert; Randall, Richard

Rapid growth of population, industry, and military installations on Guam has produced predictable increases in domestic and industrial wastes. The Government of Guam, military commands and community at large are faced with the problem of disposing of these wastes. Guam's oceanic location has thus far made ocean outfalls the most convenient and inexpensive method of waste removal. This is frequently a rather near-sighted approach. An assumption is often made that ocean outfalls, coupled with oceanic dilution, will prevent detrimental accumulation of sewage in inshore areas. However, unfavorable ocean currents and incomplete dilution and/or chemical and biological degredation of organic and other noxious substances could combine to bring these wastes into Guam's reef and bay environments. These circumstances might create public health problems and generally obnoxious conditions along densely populated coastal areas. In addition, to public health problems, such accumulations might well cause irreversible damage to our marine ecosystem. Intensive research programs to aid in the most effective location of ocean outfalls are either limited in scope on Guam or completely lacking. All too often, ocean outfalls reach the design and contract stage or actual construction before any detailed hydrograpic survey or ecological impact evaluation of the site is made, if at all. In an effort to alleviate this problem, the Guam Water Pollution Control Commission contracted the University of Guam Marine Laboratory to conduct a study of the recently completed Agana outfall site It was obviously too late to make a preconstruction site study, but it was possible to attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of the existing outfall.