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Effects of oil pollution on marine bird populations

By: , and 
Edited by: Jan White

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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 (abundance, distribution, productivity, recruitment and mortality rates) 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 the 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.

Publication type Conference Paper
Publication Subtype Conference Paper
Title Effects of oil pollution on marine bird populations
Year Published 1991
Language English
Publisher Sheridan Press
Publisher location Hanover, PA
Contributing office(s) Alaska Science Center
Description 17 p.
Larger Work Type Book
Larger Work Subtype Conference publication
Larger Work Title The effects of oil on wildlife: Research, rehabilitation, and general concerns; Proceedings from the oil symposium, Herndon, Virginia, October 16-18, 1990
First page 125
Last page 141
Conference Title The Oil Symposium
Conference Location Herndon, VA
Conference Date October 16-18, 1990
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