Normative and Conceptual Issues in the Regulation of Biotechnology in the Nation's Bays and Estuaries

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This project will identify and analyze ethical and conceptual issues involved in the regulation of recombinant DNA organisms in aquatic systems. Statues governing aquatic ecosystems reflect aesthetic, cultural, and moral values, which provide a context for analyzing public concerns for the natural environment. In this project, the principal investigator will examine concepts of pollution, water quality, and biological integrity, which are central to the regulatory framework, in relation to the sorts of changes that recombinant DNA organisms may cause to occur in marine environments. The ways in which such changes are described and classified, and the choice of environmental and ecological indices with which to assess risks or harms, will be crucial to how recombinant DNA organisms are regulated. The project involves philosophical analysis of the relevant scientific, regulatory, and philosophical literatures and on-going, on-site interaction with marine and estuarine scientists at several University of Maryland laboratories and centers. In addition, the principal investigator will participate in a working group of biologists, ecologists, social scientists, regulators and scholars. Group members will prepare and critique each others' papers on scientific, regulatory, and ethical issues associated with application of recombinant DNA organisms in aquatic environments. Products will include a book containing the papers by the interdisciplinary working group and a series of essays by the principal investigator, for publication in scholarly and professional journals. This project will make a valuable contribution to the understanding of scientists and the public and its officials about ethical and value issues associated with environmental applications of recombinant DNA organisms, particularly in marine and estuarine environments. Because of their track record and resources, the principal investigator and institutional environment are uniquely suited for this project; the working group members provide the right mix of expertise and affiliations to complement the skills available from the institutional sponsor. The research design is appropriate; costs are reasonable; and results are likely to be useful and widely distributed. Total support in the amount of $61,668 is recommended.