31 



tant in the marine environment, with particu- 

 lar reference to the levels that affect the most 

 sensitive species of marine bird, is necessary. 

 A portion of this program might be carried 

 out by using the eggs of marine birds, because 

 colonies of some species are large and eggs 

 may be obtained on a regular basis. The 

 variance of pollutant distributions and the 

 mathematical nature of these distributions 

 are imperfectly known and the statistics of 

 sampling have not yet been adequately formu- 

 lated. Moreover, it would be desirable to carry 

 out such programs in conjunction with other 

 programs that examine changes in pollutant 

 levels in the marine environment like the 

 "Mussel Watch" (Goldberg 1975), which is 

 following changes in the levels of plutonium 

 isotopes, petroleum compounds, chlorinated 

 hydrocarbons, and selected metals in mussels 

 from U.S. coastal localities. 



Priorities in future research might be given 

 to more intensive studies within local areas to 

 obtain a better understanding of the 

 dynamics of pollutant accumulation by birds. 

 Of primary concern is the need to determine 

 whether petroleum compounds are accumu- 

 lated in food webs, including marine birds, 

 and whether such compounds exert dele- 

 terious physiological effects. Because pe- 

 troleum compounds seem to have longer-last- 

 ing effects in colder water, the impending ex- 

 ploitation of oil resources in the offshore and 

 North Slope areas accentuates the urgent 

 need for information on the environmental 

 consequences of chronic as well as acute 

 exposure. 



The environmental effects of small plastic 

 particles that are commonly found in oceanic 

 areas, including northern North America, 

 should be investigated. 



The relationships between chronic exposure 

 to environmental pollutants and other envi- 

 ronmental stresses are relatively unknown, as 

 are relationships and effects of pollutants on 

 many of the essential organisms in the food 

 webs upon which marine and estuarine birds 

 depend. 



An annual symposium on the marine birds 

 of northern North America should be held to 

 serve as a forum for presentation of new infor- 

 mation. The symposium would contribute sig- 

 nificantly to conservation of the area's nat- 

 ural resources by facilitating exchange of in- 

 formation and coordination of further 

 research. 



D. J. Snyder assembled much of the re- 

 quired literature and also typed the manu- 

 script. M. T. Finley, J. L. Ludke, L. F. Stickel, 

 and D. H. White reviewed the manuscript and 

 offered useful suggestions. 



References 



Abou-Donia, M. B., and D. B. Menzel. 1968. The 

 metabolism in vivo of l,l,l-trichloro-2,2-bis-(p- 

 chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT), l,l-dichloro-2,2-bis- 

 (p-chlorophenyl)ethane (ODD) and 1,1-dichloro- 

 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE) in the 

 chick by embryonic injection and dietary inges- 

 tion. Biochem. Pharmacol. 17(10):2143-2161. 



Ahearn, D. G., and S. P. Meyers. 1973. The micro- 

 bial degradation of oil pollutants. Publ. No. 

 LSU-SG-73-01, Center for Wetland Resources, 

 Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. 



Albright, L. J., T. G. Northcote, P. C. Oloffs, and 

 S. Y. Szeto. 1975. Chlorinated hydrocarbon resi- 

 dues in fish, crabs, and shellfish of the lower 

 Fraser River, its estuary, and selected locations 

 in Georgia Strait, British Columbia 1972-73. 

 Pestic. Monit. J. 9(3):134-140. 



Aldrich, J. W. 1970. Review of the problem of birds 

 contaminated by oil and their rehabilitation. 

 U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. Resour. Publ. 87. 23 pp. 



American Petroleum Institute. 1973. Effects of oil 

 and chemically dispersed oil on selected marine 

 biota a laboratory study. API Publ. No. 4191 

 (prepared by Battelle Pacific Northwest Labora- 

 tories, Richland, Washington). 



Anderlini, V. C., P. G. Connors, R. W. Risebrough, 

 and J. H. Martin. 1972. Concentrations of heavy 

 metals in some Antarctic and North American 

 sea birds. Pages 49-61 in B. C. Parker, ed., Pro- 

 ceedings of the Colloquium on Conservation 

 Problems in Antarctica. Allen Press, Lawrence, 

 Kansas. 



Anderson, D. W., and J. J. Hickey. 1972. Eggshell 

 changes in certain North American birds. Proc. 

 Int. Ornith. Congr. 15:514-540. 



Anderson, D. W., J. R. Jehl, Jr., R. W. Risebrough, 

 L. A. Woods, Jr., L. R. DeWeese, and W. G. 

 Edgecomb. 1975. Brown pelicans: improved re- 

 production off the southern California coast. 

 Science 190(4216):806-808. 



Anderson, J. W. 1973. Uptake and depuration of 

 specific hydrocarbons from fuel oil by the bi- 

 valves Rangia cuneata and Crassostrea vir- 

 ginica. Pages 690-708 in Background papers for 

 a workshop on inputs, fates, and effects of 

 petroleum in the marine environment, Vol. II. 

 Ocean Affairs Board, National Academy of 

 Sciences, Washington, D.C. 



Anderson, J. W., J. M. Neff, B. A. Cox, H. E. 

 Tatem, and G. M. Hightower. 1974a. Character- 

 istics of dispersions and water-soluble extracts 

 of crude and refined oils and their toxicity to es- 

 tuarine crustaceans and fish. Mar. Biol. 

 27(l):75-88. 



