Describes the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the Hudson ecosystem. Three environmental conflicts are reviewed from the point of view of ecosystem science - uptake and discharge of cooling water for power stations; release, fate and cleanup of PCBs; and dredging associated with the construction of a major highway. Synthesis of these conflicts suggests that the scientific basis to the environmental impact statements was not always as effective as it might have been. Management decisions were often haphazard, though they increasingly adopted a holistic viewpoint. The last chapter summarises the data base literature for research conducted on the Hudson River, and describes the bibliographies that are appended. -P.J.Jarvis
