PETROLEUM INDUSTRY'S ROLE IN MARINE BIRD CONSERVATION 257 



Bird and Habitat Research Laboratory near 

 Laurel, Maryland. The Fish and Wildlife Ser- 

 vice is also working with the API in develop- 

 ing information on migratory patterns and 

 winter waterfowl concentration areas on the 

 East Coast as they relate to petroleum trans- 

 port traffic and oil terminals. 



In Canada, the Petroleum Association for 

 Conservation of the Canadian Environment 

 (PACCE) employed the services of a consult- 

 ing firm to make a comprehensive review of 

 dispersal and rehabilitation of waterfowl asso- 

 ciated with oil spills. The resulting PACCE re- 

 port (LGL Ltd. 1974) codified what was 

 known about the problem, identified research 

 needs, and developed effective wildlife oil-spill 

 contingency plans for critical areas on 

 Canada's east and west coasts, the Great 

 Lakes, and the Arctic. 



The Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish 

 Commission has initiated a program for the 

 rehabilitation and treatment of oiled birds. It 

 is being organized by veterinarian Harold F. 

 Albers o.f St. Petersburg. He is working in co- 

 operation with the Florida Associated Marine 

 Institutes, the Shell Oil Company, Clean Gulf 

 Associates, and the API. 



The Standard Oil Company of California 

 provided a grant to James Naviaux of 

 Pleasant Hill, California, to develop bird- 

 cleaning technology, including the testing of 

 various cleaners. Dr. Naviaux had treated 

 birds from the 1971 San Francisco spill. A 

 publication on the after-care of oil-covered 

 birds (Naviaux 1972) resulted from the col- 

 laboration with Alan Pittman, research 

 chemist of the U.S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture's Western Research Laboratory. 



In 1971, the API in cooperation with the 

 National Wildlife Federation (NWF) initiated 

 an NWF/API Fellowship program. One of the 

 first grants under this program was to 

 Charles W. Kirkpatrick, Professor of Wildlife 

 Management at Purdue University. He and 

 assistants studied for 4 years the nesting ecol- 

 ogy and productivity of the emperor goose 

 (Philacte canagica) in the Igiak Bay area of 

 the Yukon Delta in Alaska (Eisenhauer and 

 Kirkpatrick 1977). 



An extensive program of marine bird re- 

 search was initiated on the North Slope of 

 Alaska by the Atlantic Richfield Company in 

 1969. It has been continued ever since and in- 



cludes the acquisition of extensive base-line 

 data on all waterfowl, including June surveys 

 of breeding pair counts and August surveys 

 for brood counts. The results of these surveys 

 for 1969-73 are presented by Gavin (1975). 



Base-line data on marine birds of the Gulf of 

 Alaska are currently being collected and com- 

 piled through grants to various universities 

 and institutions by the American petroleum 

 industry. These data will constitute elements 

 of a report on the environmental status of the 

 Gulf of Alaska. Such information is essential 

 prior to development of the Gulf's offshore 

 petroleum resources. 



Marine Mammals 



Most sea mammals are relatively resistant 

 to oil slicks and tend to avoid contaminated 

 waters. As a result, little research has been 

 conducted on cleaning and treatment tech- 

 niques except for experiments on live beavers 

 and on the carcasses and pelts of sea otters 

 and beavers. 



No sea otter or seal has ever been oiled and 

 subsequently cleaned in an oil spill situation. 

 It is possible, however, that a spill could have 

 significant adverse effects on sea otters and 

 fur seals, especially at a rookery during the 

 pupping season. These animals depend on an 

 air blanket trapped in their dense underfur for 

 warmth and buoyancy. Any form of pollutant, 

 especially oil, could penetrate the outer guard 

 hairs and underfur and allow water to reach 

 the skin, with disastrous effects. 



Seals and otters are powerful animals, and 

 the larger males and females can be quite ag- 

 gressive and dangerous. Only professional 

 wildlife specialists and consulting veteri- 

 narians should be permitted to handle and 

 treat them. A guide to cleaning and care of 

 oiled sea otters can be found in the California 

 Oil and Hazardous Materials Contingency 

 Plan. 



Conclusions 



This status report has revealed that sub- 

 stantial efforts and progress have been made 

 in oiled-wildlife research. New techniques 

 being developed are leading to higher survival 

 rates. Preventive measures are being devised 

 to keep birds from entering a spill area. Wild- 



