THE PROBLEM OF OIL POLLUTION OF THE SEA
289
method of reducing such spillages. An important aspect of this is the
development of efficient methods for apprehending vessels which
deliberately discharge oily wastes and the successful prosecution of
their owners or operators. It is also important that international
agreement be reached on the rights and responsibilities both of ship
operators and those countries whose coastal waters are threatened by
the wreck of a vessel carrying heavy oils-or, indeed, even more hazardous cargoes. The probable path of a slick can now be predicted with
reasonable accuracy, provided that proper observations are kept and
accurate meteorological data are speedily provided. With equipment
now available for military intelligence, it should be possible to maintain continuous surveillance of quite small slicks far out at sea from
high-flying aircraft or satellites (see Cronin (1965) and more recent
NASA press releases). It is now accepted policy to treat the oil
at sea wherever possible. The means to do this efficiently and with
little damage to marine life by sinking, dispersing or mechanical removal (where weather conditions permit) are now known and require
only the organization to get them to the right place in time and in
sufficient quantities. The drastic effects of ‘‘ first-generation ” emulsifiers effective on stranded oil have been well documented. As Sennen
Cove’s Rural District Councillor said (having done his share in cleansing
Whitesand Bay from “ Torrey Canyon ” oil) “ no one in his right mind
would use detergent . . . if any other effective method was available ”
(see Cowan, 1968). Unfortunately, many thousands of gallons of these
emulsifiers are now stockpiled against an emergency spill by local
authorities throughout Britain. To replace these with newer, more
expensive formulations would be very costly although, in emergency,
it is with the earlier mixtures that enthusiastic but uninstructed volunteers can do great if unwitting damage.
The responses of shore biota to catastrophic pollution in Milford
Haven and Cornwall show that partial recovery occurs quite quickly
in regions where populations are both plentiful and varied (Fig. 18).
Like any other abnormal stress, oil pollution has a particularly marked
effect on organisms near the limits of their geographical range. Zoogeographical and seasonal differences account for some of the discrepancies which exist between the various accounts of mortalities
observed on affected shores or recorded in laboratory experiments. A
good example is the topshell Monodonta lineata, which was found to be
very resistant in Cornwall but, farther north in Milford Haven, serves
as a sensitive indicator of shore damage and showed marked seasonal
variations in susceptibility during an extended series of toxicity tests.
The disproportionate effects that oil pollution and its cleansing have
289
method of reducing such spillages. An important aspect of this is the
development of efficient methods for apprehending vessels which
deliberately discharge oily wastes and the successful prosecution of
their owners or operators. It is also important that international
agreement be reached on the rights and responsibilities both of ship
operators and those countries whose coastal waters are threatened by
the wreck of a vessel carrying heavy oils-or, indeed, even more hazardous cargoes. The probable path of a slick can now be predicted with
reasonable accuracy, provided that proper observations are kept and
accurate meteorological data are speedily provided. With equipment
now available for military intelligence, it should be possible to maintain continuous surveillance of quite small slicks far out at sea from
high-flying aircraft or satellites (see Cronin (1965) and more recent
NASA press releases). It is now accepted policy to treat the oil
at sea wherever possible. The means to do this efficiently and with
little damage to marine life by sinking, dispersing or mechanical removal (where weather conditions permit) are now known and require
only the organization to get them to the right place in time and in
sufficient quantities. The drastic effects of ‘‘ first-generation ” emulsifiers effective on stranded oil have been well documented. As Sennen
Cove’s Rural District Councillor said (having done his share in cleansing
Whitesand Bay from “ Torrey Canyon ” oil) “ no one in his right mind
would use detergent . . . if any other effective method was available ”
(see Cowan, 1968). Unfortunately, many thousands of gallons of these
emulsifiers are now stockpiled against an emergency spill by local
authorities throughout Britain. To replace these with newer, more
expensive formulations would be very costly although, in emergency,
it is with the earlier mixtures that enthusiastic but uninstructed volunteers can do great if unwitting damage.
The responses of shore biota to catastrophic pollution in Milford
Haven and Cornwall show that partial recovery occurs quite quickly
in regions where populations are both plentiful and varied (Fig. 18).
Like any other abnormal stress, oil pollution has a particularly marked
effect on organisms near the limits of their geographical range. Zoogeographical and seasonal differences account for some of the discrepancies which exist between the various accounts of mortalities
observed on affected shores or recorded in laboratory experiments. A
good example is the topshell Monodonta lineata, which was found to be
very resistant in Cornwall but, farther north in Milford Haven, serves
as a sensitive indicator of shore damage and showed marked seasonal
variations in susceptibility during an extended series of toxicity tests.
The disproportionate effects that oil pollution and its cleansing have