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New policy chief for IUCN
Volume8/Number8/August 1977 which has had disastrous effects on marine life in the Norfolk Broads. The research which began earlier this year under the direction of Dr Brian Moss, lecturer in environmental science at East Anglia University (Mar. Pollut. Bull., 8, 3) shows that the algae are thriving on high concentrations of phosphates and nitrates--75 ~/0 of which originate from treated sewage. The findings to be published in Freshwater Biology later this year, contradict the widely-held belief that phosphate-rich agricultural fertilizers were largely responsible for the problem. 'Phosphate-stripping'--a process for removing phosphates from sewage effluent-is already being used in both North America and Europe and could be applied on the Broads. The East Anglian Water Board is, as yet, undecided on what course of action to take. Meanwhile the decline of marine life, aquatic plants and wildlife on the Broads, one of Britain's finest wetlands, continues. Water-lilies, which used to grow in abundance on the surface have now virtually disappeared as has underwater plant-life in the now murky water. Fish stocks have fallen dramatically and it is estimated that some 100 000 waterfowl have died from 'avian botulism'--a disease caused by bacteria which breed in the dead and dying algae.
Oil Pollution Detected in Birds' Eggs The investigation of wildlife for evidence of remote effects of ingested oil has become a maj or growth industry in recent years with remarkable little result. It is therefore of interest that it has now been shown that when birds are fed oil abnormalities can subsequently be detected in their eggs. C. R. Grau and others report that when Japanese Quail were fed 200 mg of bunker C oil the yolk deposited the following day was grossly abnormal, and the number of eggs laid and their hatchability declined for four days (Science, 195, 779). Similar results were obtained with three other oils, and with chickens and Canada Geese. It is suggested that changes in their egg-yolks might be used to monitor the effects of oil pollution on birds. In point of fact the most interesting feature of these experiments appears to be that after 4 days both the birds and their eggs returned to normal, which suggests that the metabolic effects of oil pollution are purely temporary.
River Pollution Early Warning System A prototype early warning system to detect river pollution introduced by the British Water Research Centre and used by the Wessex Water Authority to guard a raw water intake from the River Avon has had a successful trial by twice alerting authorities to abnormalities before fish were killed. In the past the sighting of dead fish was often the first sign of pollution and for some time attempts have been made to keep caged fish in the intake stream to water treatment works. The new system which monitors several of the normal bodily activities of three captive fish is said to be more sensitive and reliable.
Oil Kills North Sea Birds An oil pollution incident which affected the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' (ROSPB) reserve at Bempton, Yorkshire, in February (Mar. Pollut. Bull., 8, 73) was repeated when oiled birds started coming ashore there again on 8 April. They were mainly Guillemots with a few Razorbills. Eventually 520 were found dead along the shore, 555 came ashore alive, and another 400 were seen out at sea. Some 380 of the survivors were transferred to the RSPCA rehabilitation centre at Taunton, of which 10% died on the way. An oil slick was reported in Lloyds List to have been seen offshore on 10 April but later aerial surveys by the RAF drew a blank. The oil which caused these two incidents has been investigated by the analytical branch of British Petroleum. Four specimens from the February incident are all similar, and consist of a fuel oil composed of a non-paraffinlc residue diluted with a gasoil, possibly of Nigerian origin. One specimen from the April incident was a weathered crude oil containing more vanadium, nickel and sulphur than is usual in North Sea crudes, in a ratio similar to the heavier Middle East crudes except that the sulphur level was rather high. It would appear that both incidents were caused by illegal discharges from ships, one probably from a merchant ship and one from a tanker not yet using load on top techniques.
New Policy Chief for IUCN Mr Maurice Strong, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme from 1972-76 has joined The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as Chairman of the Bureau, the organization's newly formed policy directing body. Mr Strong described IUCN as the "nerve centre of a world conservation movement" and said his main aims will be to generate greater support for the organization from governments, aid agencies and the world of business.
More Precautions Against Oil Spills Needed The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has called for the urgent preparation of detailed maps showing areas where seabirds breed and fish spawn so that future methods used to clean up oil spills involve the minimum risk to both. It has declared that the North Sea Ekofisk blow-out in April was another warning of the potential dangers to the environment posed by oil exploration which underlined the necessity to step up precautions against such incidents. IUCN announced its willingness to join other organizations in improving knowledge of important fish and seabird areas as part of the World Wildlife Fund's 'The Seas must live' campaign for marine conservation. It said that while the spawning and nursery areas of fish such as plaice, cod and haddock were reasonably well known there was less information about the 173
Oil Pollution Detected in Birds' Eggs The investigation of wildlife for evidence of remote effects of ingested oil has become a maj or growth industry in recent years with remarkable little result. It is therefore of interest that it has now been shown that when birds are fed oil abnormalities can subsequently be detected in their eggs. C. R. Grau and others report that when Japanese Quail were fed 200 mg of bunker C oil the yolk deposited the following day was grossly abnormal, and the number of eggs laid and their hatchability declined for four days (Science, 195, 779). Similar results were obtained with three other oils, and with chickens and Canada Geese. It is suggested that changes in their egg-yolks might be used to monitor the effects of oil pollution on birds. In point of fact the most interesting feature of these experiments appears to be that after 4 days both the birds and their eggs returned to normal, which suggests that the metabolic effects of oil pollution are purely temporary.
River Pollution Early Warning System A prototype early warning system to detect river pollution introduced by the British Water Research Centre and used by the Wessex Water Authority to guard a raw water intake from the River Avon has had a successful trial by twice alerting authorities to abnormalities before fish were killed. In the past the sighting of dead fish was often the first sign of pollution and for some time attempts have been made to keep caged fish in the intake stream to water treatment works. The new system which monitors several of the normal bodily activities of three captive fish is said to be more sensitive and reliable.
Oil Kills North Sea Birds An oil pollution incident which affected the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' (ROSPB) reserve at Bempton, Yorkshire, in February (Mar. Pollut. Bull., 8, 73) was repeated when oiled birds started coming ashore there again on 8 April. They were mainly Guillemots with a few Razorbills. Eventually 520 were found dead along the shore, 555 came ashore alive, and another 400 were seen out at sea. Some 380 of the survivors were transferred to the RSPCA rehabilitation centre at Taunton, of which 10% died on the way. An oil slick was reported in Lloyds List to have been seen offshore on 10 April but later aerial surveys by the RAF drew a blank. The oil which caused these two incidents has been investigated by the analytical branch of British Petroleum. Four specimens from the February incident are all similar, and consist of a fuel oil composed of a non-paraffinlc residue diluted with a gasoil, possibly of Nigerian origin. One specimen from the April incident was a weathered crude oil containing more vanadium, nickel and sulphur than is usual in North Sea crudes, in a ratio similar to the heavier Middle East crudes except that the sulphur level was rather high. It would appear that both incidents were caused by illegal discharges from ships, one probably from a merchant ship and one from a tanker not yet using load on top techniques.
New Policy Chief for IUCN Mr Maurice Strong, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme from 1972-76 has joined The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as Chairman of the Bureau, the organization's newly formed policy directing body. Mr Strong described IUCN as the "nerve centre of a world conservation movement" and said his main aims will be to generate greater support for the organization from governments, aid agencies and the world of business.
More Precautions Against Oil Spills Needed The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has called for the urgent preparation of detailed maps showing areas where seabirds breed and fish spawn so that future methods used to clean up oil spills involve the minimum risk to both. It has declared that the North Sea Ekofisk blow-out in April was another warning of the potential dangers to the environment posed by oil exploration which underlined the necessity to step up precautions against such incidents. IUCN announced its willingness to join other organizations in improving knowledge of important fish and seabird areas as part of the World Wildlife Fund's 'The Seas must live' campaign for marine conservation. It said that while the spawning and nursery areas of fish such as plaice, cod and haddock were reasonably well known there was less information about the 173