Surface observations of coastal waters and ground. truth data were obtained to aid interpretation and analyses of overflight photography and imagery. Among the broad objectives of the mission was to investigate the potential of high-altitude, multispectral photography as a tool for the improved planning necessary to cope with multidisciplinary problems within the coastal zone, specifically with regard to:
1. The inventory and evaluation of the central Atlantic coastal area natural resources;
2. The assessment of human and natural degradation of these resources;
3. The feasibility of monitoring resource allocation and management, including land use categories and the impact of urbanization on the central Atlantic coastal area.
4. The evaluation of sources and extent of water pollution.
The site encompasses a major segment of the mid-Atlantic coast from Newark, New Jersey to Wilmington, North Carolina (Figure 2, inset). It; includes the southern portion of Megalopolis,. one of the world\u27s major urban-industrial complexes which is under the pressure of land use. It encompasses the silt and pollutant laden Chesapeake drainage system, the largest on the U. S, East Coast. The site includes.seaward reaches of the Delaware River system where water quality management is the chief problem. Additionally, it includes the coastal parts of North Carolina which offers a wide range of physical environments and cultural development common to the east coast. The site is an area where large spatial and temporal variations occur in tidal waters
