Water: Vessel Water Discharge EPA and the Committee on the
Marine Transportation System |Oceans, Coasts, Estuaries &
Beaches Quick Finder| |Oceans, Coasts, & Estuaries Home Coastal
Watershed Protection||Marine Pollution Prevention Monitoring and
Assessment||Ocean & Coastal Partnerships Frequently Asked
Questions||Coasts for Kids| Top: Port of Jacksonville, Fla.,
portside loader and freighter at the dock. Middle: Dundalk, Md.,
trucks, train tracks and loaders in the harbor. Bottom: Crane
loaders at Port of Jacksonville, Fla. Ports and harbors are
valuable links to domestic and international commerce and
opportunity for recreation. We all use marine transportation to
receive imports and ship out exports. Ports are home to
recreational and commercial fishing fleets, as well as small
boats, ferries and cruise ships. Ports may be found along on our
ocean coasts, the Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, and U.S. inland
waterways. Because they are often sited in sensitive coastal and
inland aquatic areas, America's ports an