Wastes currently being discharged to the coastal waters of the United States include Trace organic contaminants (TC), trace elements (TE), and other trace materials (TM). Those TM dealt with included: (1) known violently noxious materials (Pb(+2), (CN)2(-2), Hg(+2)); (2) materials which are biostimulatory to some species (cobalamin, iron chelates, thiamin, biotin, Mn, Mg; and (3) materials which are bioinhibitory for at least some species in various mechanisms (DDT, Se, Mn, Mg). A different view of the problem was taken in which ways of selecting the optimum organism to utilize a particular waste were preferred to methods of removing it conventionally. A thorough literature search revealed a significant lack of literature in waste breakdown for both qualitative and quantitative evaluation. It was concluded that further studies should be performed for each known trace material to determine: The mechanism whereby it is secluded; The metabolic threshold; The active level; The harmful level; The speciation requirements; The absolute rates in and out of the compartments of which coastal waters, sediments, chemical system phases, and biota may be considered as composed. Evaluations such as these were performed for DDT, and they must be performed for the known set of waste constituents before rational action to prevent damage to the oceans is possible.