*
,./
'
-
‘
t
=“
'Ocean | |“! dl
_
“
————J…__
The major element in the worldwide hydrological cycle is the ocean. In addi—
*
,}
tion to the contaminants dumped directly into ocean waters, dangerous pollu—
1
tants enter the sea in huge amounts from both air and freshwàter' pollution.
Efforts to control the many sources of marine pollution are fragmentary
and
7_
are complicated by the lingering attitude that the deep ocean is a no man’s
-g
land—an inviting open dump that can be closed only by putting international
«
cooperation to the test.
-
j
Ocean pollution had attracted little public attention until the curtain rose
‘
particularly dramatic episode on March 18, 1967. At about 9:00 that
[ ”
‘
morning, the T0m3y Canyon, then one of the ten largest ships in the world,
was cùtting through the water at 16 knots off Lands End, England. Between
'
the supertanker and its intended port of Milford Haven lay an infamous
Ÿ
chain—of—rocks reef that had claimed many ships. The oncoming tanker, low
:
in the water with a full load of crude oil from Kuwait on the Persian Gulf,
was spotted by lookouts on the Seven Stones lightship who determined that it
was on a collision course With the reef. The crew of the lightship frantically
_
__
tried to warn the Torrey Canyon with ares, emergency ags, and rockets.
‘
The sea was calm and sunlit, and the watch on the tanker had ample time to
recognize the danger and change course. The lightship signals went un—
heeded, however, and, despite good visibility, good weather, and adequate
_
warning, the Torrey Canyon ground onto a rock pinnacle with an impact that
tore a 500—foot gash thr0ugh six of its 18 oil storage tanks. The wreck focused
world attention on modern marine pollution problems [l].
‘
_
,./
'
-
‘
t
=“
'Ocean | |“! dl
_
“
————J…__
The major element in the worldwide hydrological cycle is the ocean. In addi—
*
,}
tion to the contaminants dumped directly into ocean waters, dangerous pollu—
1
tants enter the sea in huge amounts from both air and freshwàter' pollution.
Efforts to control the many sources of marine pollution are fragmentary
and
7_
are complicated by the lingering attitude that the deep ocean is a no man’s
-g
land—an inviting open dump that can be closed only by putting international
«
cooperation to the test.
-
j
Ocean pollution had attracted little public attention until the curtain rose
‘
particularly dramatic episode on March 18, 1967. At about 9:00 that
[ ”
‘
morning, the T0m3y Canyon, then one of the ten largest ships in the world,
was cùtting through the water at 16 knots off Lands End, England. Between
'
the supertanker and its intended port of Milford Haven lay an infamous
Ÿ
chain—of—rocks reef that had claimed many ships. The oncoming tanker, low
:
in the water with a full load of crude oil from Kuwait on the Persian Gulf,
was spotted by lookouts on the Seven Stones lightship who determined that it
was on a collision course With the reef. The crew of the lightship frantically
_
__
tried to warn the Torrey Canyon with ares, emergency ags, and rockets.
‘
The sea was calm and sunlit, and the watch on the tanker had ample time to
recognize the danger and change course. The lightship signals went un—
heeded, however, and, despite good visibility, good weather, and adequate
_
warning, the Torrey Canyon ground onto a rock pinnacle with an impact that
tore a 500—foot gash thr0ugh six of its 18 oil storage tanks. The wreck focused
world attention on modern marine pollution problems [l].
‘
_