Mortality of aquatic birds in the Gulf of Gdansk as a result of oil pollution

• Authors: W. Meissner
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Poland is one of the few countries around the Baltic Sea where the mortality of aquatic birds due to oil pollution has been monitored since the 1960s.The most comprehensive data has been gathered in the Gulf of Gdansk region.During the sixties and seventies Polish coastal waters were permanently comtaminated by numerous though relatively small leaks from port installations, ships and fishing cutters.The density of dead, oiled birds was then high and ranged from 3-5 individuals per km.The 1980s witnessed a rapid decline in the number of oiled birds, owing probably to the tightening of puntative measures against the perpetrators of marine pollution, and to the recession, which also affected the maritime economy.Furthermore, the source of contamination had moved, a fact endorsed by the species composition of the dead birds recovered.At present, far fewer patroleum-based contaminants enter to open sea; the major sources of such pollution are now to be found on the coast.

Keywords

EN

BIRD; GDANSK GULF; OIL POLLUTION; SPECIES STRUCTURE

Discipline

• AQUATIC_SCIENCES: AQUATIC SCIENCES

• Publisher: Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdansk
• Journal: Oceanological Studies
• Year: 1996
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 151-157

Contributors

author

W. Meissner

• Document Type: article
• Publication order reference: W.Meissner