| Human activities have physically altered and chemically contaminated fish habitat in estuaries and nearshore environments, and traditional land-use management strategies have led to habitat fragmentation throughout the Northwest. Our ability to detect the presence and biological effects of contaminants in estuarine, freshwater, and coastal marine habitats will grow increasingly important, as will our ability to determine thresholds above which contaminants produce serious biological effects. We must also develop ways to assess the cumulative effects of human activities on habitat quality and biological productivity. |
