residents who have already experienced several oil spills in recent years. 

 (Table 3). 



Table 3. Recent Major Oil Spills Off New England. (Sources: U.S. De- 

 partment of the Interior, 1976; Providence Journal.) 



Date: 5/10/69 



Locality: near Portsmouth, New Hampshire 



Amount: .19 million gallons 



Type of Oil: #2 fuel oil 



Vessel : Robert L. Poling 



Environmental Impact: Heavy initial mortality of benthic fauna where 

 oil was absorbed in the salt marsh peat. Mortalities occurred 

 in the duck and cormorant populations. Retardation of salt 

 marsh grass. 



Date: 9/16/69 



Locality: Falmouth, Mass. (Buzzards Bay) 



Amount: .16 - .19 million gallons 



Type of Oil: #2 fuel oil 



Vessel : Florida 



Environmental Impact: Immediate massive kill of molluscs, polychaetes 



and amphipods. As of June 1976, small areas remain closed to 



shell fishing. 



Date: 2/04/70 



Locality: Chedabucto Bay, Nova Scotia 

 Amount: 2.7 million gallons 

 Type of Oil : Bunker C 

 Vessel : Arrow 



Environmental Impact: No lethal effects on subtidal benthic community, 

 but contaminated animals were found 26 months after the spill. 



Date: 7/22/72 



Locality: Portland Harbor, Maine 

 Amount: .11 - .19 million gallons 

 Type of Oil: #2 fuel oil 

 Vessel : Tamano 



Environmental Impact: Extensive damage to marine communities. Area 

 closed to shellfishing. 



Date: 12/15/76 



Locality: Nantucket Shoals 



Amount: 7.5 million gallons 



Type of Oil : #6 fuel oil 



Vessel : Argo Merchant 



Environmental Impact: Unknown at this time. 



16 



