Little is known about the cumulative effects of chronic oil pollu- 

 tion on shoreline organisms. Numerous oil seeps have occurred along the 

 coast of Southern California. Straughan, who noted a lack of biological 

 damage following the 1969 spill, speculated that the area's fauna may 



have developed a tolerance of crude oil in the water because of long- 



9 

 term exposure to seeps ; however, the impacts of a spill can cause damage 



far beyond the area of the spill by destroying migrating species, such 

 as whales and birds, and by damaging coastal food webs. 



4. Integrated Spill Risk Analysis . Because of uncertainties about 

 the paths of spills off the Southern California coast and of the effec- 

 tiveness of cleanup technology, the OCS Task Force is conducting an 

 inventory of all critical, natural, economic, and recreational resources. 

 They will incorporate these resources in an analysis of oil spill paths. 

 Officially designated, environmentally sensitive areas and other habitats 

 that are of particular importance are among the areas being inventoried 

 by the Task Force. These areas will be mapped, showing relevant features 

 including kelp beds, reefs, and islands. Spill paths are being plotted 

 from available data on wind and wave action currents, and location of 

 oil production and shipping. Preliminary maps of these critical areas 

 are included in Appendix VI. 



COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS COMPONENTS 



Terrestrial components of the Southern California coastal ecosystem 

 include five major vegetative communities: maritime pine forests, oak 

 woodland, coastal sagebrush, chapparral , and coast grassland. These 

 communities support over 250 species of resident and migratory birds, 



56 



