and thus may enter oil spills by accident. Some species of sea birds 



are more prone to oiling than others. Diving birds have suffered the greatest 



casualties in large oil spills whereas others, such as gulls and shearwaters, 



suffer fewer casualties (1 , Vol .2, p. 325). As further stated by BLM (1 , Vol .2, p. 327) 



The migratory waterfowl are probably among the most susceptible 

 due to their flocking habits and the large number of birds using 

 the Atlantic Flyway. Flocks of migratory waterfowl could be im- 

 pacted during the spring and fall migrations. If oil should 

 impact these areas, populations can be reduced through loss of 

 habitat or direct fouling. Marshland habitats would be most sus- 

 ceptible to spills from nearby pipelines or tanker accidents 

 along their routes. Marsh communities of coastal New Jersey and 

 to a lesser extent those of coastal Delaware, Maryland, and Vir- 

 ginia might be especially vulnerable to spills from pipelines. 

 Communities adjacent to tanker routes into New York harbor and 

 Delaware Bay could be especially vulnerable to spills resulting 

 from tanker accidents. 



Contamination of estua'rine areas with oil may lead to impacts on bird 

 populations if food supplies are reduced or affected. The long term damage 

 to bird habitats from chronic low level oil pollution may exceed that caused 

 by irregular catastrophic spills. 



Onshore activities associated with OCS development may also affect bird 

 and other wildlife populations. Activities associated with pipeline burials 

 and construction of facilities can impact bird populations from increased human 

 disturbance and through loss of habitat. Disturbances associated with the con- 

 struction stages are believed to be relatively short termed and the extent of 

 damage can vary. Loss of habitat due to placement of facilities is expected to 

 be permanent, with changes in local populations occurring as a result. If 

 facilities should create changes in air and water quality, noise levels, and 

 so on, they can affect surrouding populations (1 , Vol .2, p. 329). 



Terrestrial wildlife populations are subject to the same impacts as 

 Lther segments of the coastal ecosystem, i.e., oil spills in the marsh zone, 



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