The study area extends from Shark River on the north to Cape May on the south, and embraces the navigable estuaries and tributaries of the Atlantic Coastal Area of New Jersey. It includes Shark River and inlet, Manasquan River and inlet, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the various bays, harbors, and streams tributary to the waterway. The study waters have a surface area of more than 115,000 acres. Municipal and institutional waste discharges constitute the greatest source of pollution within the New Jersey coastal basin. A recent Federal Water Pollution Control Administration survey of municipal and institutional wastes discharged into the New Jersey Coastal Basin between Shark River and Cape May found that: 23 sources discharge directly into the Atlantic Ocean, 30 discharge directly into the estuary (shellfish waters), 23, including three Federal installations, discharge to tributary streams. The report summarizes information regarding these waste sources.