Xref: utzoo sci.bio:4327 sci.environment:9342 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ncar!gatech!mcnc!ecsgate!ecsvax!greg From: greg@uncecs.edu (Greg Kohlbach) Newsgroups: sci.bio,sci.environment Subject: Prince William Sound has recovered? Message-ID: <1991Jan28.132857.22468@uncecs.edu> Date: 28 Jan 91 13:28:57 GMT Sender: greg@uncecs.edu Followup-To: sci.environment Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service Lines: 19 Amid all the brouhaha about the Persian Gulf oil spill, I have repeatedly heard asserted that the long-term ecological damage to Prince William Sound seems to be slight, based primarily on reports that "the fishing is very good." I wonder about this. Couldn't the present good fishing be a reflection of continuing depression of population among the species that normally compete with us for fish, like sea mammals, rather than reflecting the ability of the ecosystem to bounce back? Has this been studied? Is anyone mounting a serious challenge to the assertion that PW Sound is now healthy? What's the data? Just muddying the water ;-) Greg K. -- Greg Kohlbach | Internet: greg@ecsvax.uncecs.edu Computer Systems Coordinator | BITNET: greg@ecsvax University of North Carolina | Office Tele: (919)966-3256 Mathematics and Science Education Network | Home Tele: (919)489-6725