INJURY TO krVATlC LIFE CAUSED BY OIL 



Oils and oil substances discharged into coastal waters do not 

 remain floating indefinitely, for they are readily absorbed by clay, 

 silt, and other particulate tnatter suspended in water. Agitation of 

 the water by currents and wave action helps the settling of the oil- 

 saturated material on the bottom, but the oil slick is not securely 

 fixed and may be carried to distant places. This characteristic 

 behavior and its importance to aquatic life has been emphasized by 

 Nelson (1925) and Gowanloch (1935). Injury caused to ducks and other 

 water birds by oil floating on the surface of water is well known, since 

 many instances have been recorded of the finding of oil-smeared birds 

 unable to fly (Lincoln, 1936; Adams, 1936). Likewise, sedentarj' animals 

 living within the tidal zone and coming in direct contact with oil may 

 be destroyed. A striking mortality of the soft shell clam Mya at low 

 tide on the shores of Staten Island resulting fron a heavy film of oil 

 was reported by Nelson (1925). The great damaging action of oil pollu- 

 tion to our acfoatic resources is well established and many will agree 

 with Nelson when he says (1. c, p. 178) "Oil is, gallon for gallon as 

 thrown out, the most destructive to aquatic life' of all the foreign sub- 

 stances now entering our coastal waters." 



The toxicity of oil in sea water has been demonstrated many times 

 experimentally using fishes and marine invertebrates (Seydel, 1913; 

 Nelson, 1925; Roberts, 1926; Gardiner, 1927; Ministry of Transport and 

 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Joint Committee on Damages 

 to Fisheries, 1930; Gowanloch, 1934; Galtsoff et al., 1935; Galtsoff, 

 1936; Veselov, 1948; and others). These investigations have shown that 

 the toxic effect is due to water soluble substances extracted from oil. 

 According to Seydel (1913), the toxic effect of crude oil (from Baku 

 fields) was first demonstrated by Russiaja investigators who concluded 

 that toxicity is due to naphthenic and volatile acids which are ex- 

 tracted from oil hf water. Seydel (1. o.) also described the destruction 

 by oil pollution of crayfishes kept in floats in Bodensee. Observations 

 made in this country and in Europe on various animals kept in oil-polluted 

 waters corroborate these findings and indicate that water soluble toxic 

 material is effective when present in sufficient concentration. In many 

 instances of oil pollution, such concentrations may not be encountered 

 and no ill effect of pollution may be apparent. Under other situations, 

 more sensitive members of aquatic ccnununities may suocvunb to the presence 

 of poisons. Paucity of fauna and flora in our oil-polluted harbors is 

 probably the best illustration of the destructive effect of oil on marine 

 life. 



Because of the importance of oil development for the national welfare 

 and security, and because of the large scale oil drilling operations which 

 are now being conducted in our inshore and coastal waters, it is imperative 

 that comprehensive studies of the toxicology of oil he conducted by a 

 competent and nonpartisan organization. There is no doubt that through 

 sincere and combined efforts of all interested parties a practical method 



