Effects of oil pollution on marine bird populations
Piatt JF, Carter HR, Nettleship DN. 1991. Effects of oil pollution on marine bird populations. Pages 125-141. In White J and Frink L: The Effects of Oil on Wildlife: Research, Rehabilitation and General Concerns. Herndon, VA. October 16-18, 1990. Sheridan Press. Hanover, PA
From the Abstract: "Worldwide oil pollution has killed millions of marine birds in this century but it has been difficult to directly link these losses to population declines. Estimated bird losses from acute spills and chronic pollution are not precise because we usually do not know the proportion of birds killed at sea that are detected on beach surveys or the origin of those birds. Data required to assess effects on populations are inadequate or absent for many species. Local populations may sometimes be devastated by oil pollution, but whether these losses are biologically significant to global populations, especially in light of natural or human-induced sources of mortality, is debatable. In this paper, we review evidence for effects of oil on marine bird populations, discuss four case histories, and address the debate concerning short- and long-term effects on avian populations." The case histories discussed are: North Sea, Bempton Cliffs; the English Channel; Newfoundland; and Central California, the South Farallon Islands.