Last night this time I was lying awake after hearing a lengthy public debate about fish guts. When I say lengthy, I mean it was clocked by hours not minutes. Approximately two of them.

Atlantic Highlands is trying to make its vibrant marina -- home to Seastreak ferry service to Manhattan, commercial and recreational fisherman, sailors and motor-boaters and a couple of eateries -- a "clean marina." The Clean Marina Program is a federal/state partnership that established best management practices and guidelines for all aspects of marina management, which you'd already know if you read that somewhat hefty link. In many marinas, fish may be a small part of the operation. But here in Atlantic Highlands it's a big one, and two camps have emerged: Old-school fisherman say appropriate dumping of fish heads and guts in the water is part of the "circle of life," while beach-goers and marina mavens find floating and landed fish bits unacceptable. Two proposals were raised and, so far, rejected as part of the local enabling legislation -- piercing the eyes and bladders so fish sink, and bagging fish detritus and giving it a burial in a nearby dumpster. As part of the marathon public hearing Wednesday night members of the public suggested manual grinders feeding into the water, machine grinders and composting. Apparently research has been done into contracting fish-grinding out, and it's been found to be rather costly.

Two bottom lines here. (One) I don't know which of the alternatives mentioned would be best for the environment and best for the marina. The beaches and docks here are beautiful -- they are all the more beautiful when nothing but the rare fishkill and some driftwood and shells wash ashore. At the same time, it is entirely possible that some of fishermen's ways may be beneficial to ocean life: It is in their best interests to preserve the fish stocks out there, too. Perhaps a nearby research facility or university can shed some light on the matter without holding clean marina measures up for too long. (Two) All concerned have to consider the fact that the Clean Marina Program is about more than fish, and that its passage is expected to be both an environmental and fiscal boon, as the "incentive-driven" program's home page describes. If it's desirable, then Atlantic Highlands should do it properly -- and do it soon.