The dissolved free amino acids (DFAA) in seawater samples from an inshore area near a large submarine sewage outfall and from an inshore area relatively remote from any major outfall were compared. At both sites, surface waters contained DFAA levels of about 115 µg/liter (ca. 1 µmole/liter), about twice the value found in surface samples from other parts of the world. Bottom waters contained more DFAA than surface waters at both sites, with significantly more (290 µg or ca. 2.4 µmoles/liter) near an outfall than away from one (170 µg or ca. 1.6 µmoles/liter). Interstitial waters near the outfall contained about 350 µg or ca. 3.0 µmoles DFAA/liter. The composition of the DFAA in all samples was similar to that obtained by other workers elsewhere.