T H E PROBLEM OB OIL POLLUTION O F T H E SEA
277
oil which will probably pollute an adjacent area (Figs. 14 and 15).
Even under the best of circumstances, the operation can result in a
whitish plume of concentrated emulsion (Fig. 16) which may penetrate
t o a depth of 8-9 fm (17-18 m) and drift along the shoreline for several
krn, affecting communities which had not experienced direct pollution
FIG. 14. A coralline pool near Porthleven, Cornwall. The encrusting species of Lithothamnion and the tufts of Corallina officinalis have been bleached by the action of
emulsifier, which also killed all the limpets; a dozen or more of their " homes " are
visible as dark, roughly oval patches (photo : A. Nelson-Smith).
(Drew et al., 1967 ; Potts et al., 1967 ; Smith, 1968). Solvent-emulsifiers
of the standard type are intended to be applied undiluted, although
unsuccessful attempts to apply them in a water-jet through a foam
eductor have been reported by Wardley Smith (I968b) and Crapp
(1969a). Dispersants which can be applied in this way are ineffective
in cleaning beaches (Moore, 1968). The fire-fighting services which
normally provide the pumps used in hosing off the emulsion prefer to
A.M.R.-S
10