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Sampling at the South Pole
scavenging it also seems to have very limited application at present and seems b e t t e r suited for dealing w i t h small spills in harbours than in the o p e n sea. The papers and a transcript of the discussion (which was extensive and i n f o r m e d b u t non-controversial) will be published early n e x t y e a r b y the Institute of Petroleum.
Californian Sea Grant Pesticides, heat, salinity and o t h e r pollutants will be a m o n g the topics covered by a grant of $76-3,800 which the US National Science F o u n d a t i o n has given to the University of California, San Diego. The m o n e y , given in the f o r m of a so called sea grant, is to be devoted to an extensive p r o g r a m m e o f e d u c a t i o n , training and research, and to the advisory services c o n c e r n e d w i t h the e x p l o i t a t i o n of ocean resources. Much of the grant goes to the Scripps I n s t i t u t i o n of Oceanography, where it will help to finance studies of the degradation, preservation and e n h a n c e m e n t o f the coast. An i m p o r t a n t aspect of this effort will be investigations of the physical factors which influence coastal planning. There will be studies o f the dispersion of thermal and o t h e r non-persistent pollutants, and ocean engineers will concentrate on the c o n t i n e n t a l shelf sediments. The fruits of this venture are e x p e c t e d to be applicable to future e x p l o i t a t i o n o f the shelf area, for e x a m p l e the laying of deep pipelines or the w o r k i n g of undersea oil fields. Pesticides will be investigated in the p l a n k t o n and fish which are associated with the California current, and the effects o f salinity, heat and o t h e r pollutants will be e x a m i n e d too, in relation to the feeding and survival of larval fish. There are also thoughts of m a k i n g use of the heat p r o d u c e d by local p o w e r plants, thus turning what is now considered to be harmful p o l l u t i o n into a useful c o m m o d i t y . The people involved in the investigations feel that it m a y be possible to avoid the p r o b l e m o f thermal pollution and gain the benefits of n u t r i e n t rich w a t e r by p u m p i n g up deep cold water to c o o l the p o w e r plant, and discharging it at normal surface temperatures.
observed in some of the nesting adults. The birds leave the nests exposed for long periods, sometimes deserting t h e m altogether. Dr Gress believes that this may be related to alterations in c o n c e n t r a t i o n s of h o r m o n e . DDT causes the induction of certain e n z y m e s that break d o w n steroids, including oestrogen, and this alters the h o r m o n e balance, leading to a r e d u c t i o n in prolactin, which is necessary for b r o o d i n g behaviour, to less than the normal level. These p h e n o m e n a are n o t confined to the coast of southern California. B r o w n pelicans on the west side of the Baja California peninsular failed almost c o m p l e t e l y to reproduce, and those nesting on the western coast of Mexico and also in Florida are beginning to show the same effects.
Sampling at the South Pole Six intrepid scientists will soon be setting out to investigate pollution in the Antarctic. As part of the US Antarctic Research Program, which is sponsored by the Narional Science Foundation, they will e x a m i n e the health of the a t m o s p h e r e and m o n i t o r the distribution of various chlorinated hydrocarbons. Following the discovery of traces of lead in samples of Antarctic ice several years ago, the Antarctic atmosphere will be sampled for lead, copper, iron, aluminium and o t h e r metals. The c o n c e n t r a t i o n s f o u n d will be c o m p a r e d with those f o u n d in the N o r t h and S o u t h Atlantic Oceans and in Hawaii. This should provide some valuable i n f o r m a t i o n about the global transport of such pollutants. The reproductive success of Wilson's petrels will be w a t c h e d for clues about the distribution of chlorinated hydrocarbons. Wilson's petrels are k n o w n to be accumulating large quantities of these pollutants, which in several species have caused eggshells to be too thin for survival. Signs of reproductive failure due to this cause should therefore be a guide to the m o v e m e n t s of chlorinated hydrocarbons. There will also be a watch on the distrib u t i o n of p o l y c h l o r i n a t e d biphenyls in the Antarctic.
DDT and Birds' Eggs
Boom on Trial
Due to high c o n c e n t r a t i o n s of pollutants (1,200 parts per million of D D E have been recorded), seabirds off the Californian coast are laying eggs w i t h such thin shells that t h e y are b r o k e n before they hatch. Dr Franklin Gress of the D e p a r t m e n t o f Zoology, University o f California, Berkeley, in a report circulated by the S m i t h s o n i a n Institution Center for Short-lived Phenomena, states that the b r o w n pelican has had reproductive difficulties for the past 2-3 years, and it is even feared that it is in danger of e x t i n c t i o n because of c o n t a m i n a t i o n w i t h large a m o u n t s of chlorinated h y d r o c a r b o n residues. It was first n o t i c e d in 1962 that the shells were thinner than usual. Of the 550 nest a t t e m p t s on A n a c a p a Island (about 8 k m off the coast at Ventura) in 1969, there was only one hatch which p r o d u c e d five young, and 53 per c e n t of the eggs collected last year had abnormally thin shells. The thinnest shell was 0.14 mm thick, which is little more than the 0.11 m m thickness of the m e m b r a n e . Most of the eggs were crushed w h e n the birds tried to incubate t h e m and on analysis, the eggs were f o u n d to c o n t a i n 2,600 p.p.m, o f DDE, the principal m e t a b o l i t e of D D T . In addition, apparently a b n o r m a l behaviour has been
This floating boom for containing oil on the open sea is on trial at Portsmouth. Designed by Captain W. H. Sandford and manufactured by RFD-GQ Ltd., Godalming, Surrey, it is being tested under supervision from the Ministry of Technology's Hydraulics Research Station.
164
Californian Sea Grant Pesticides, heat, salinity and o t h e r pollutants will be a m o n g the topics covered by a grant of $76-3,800 which the US National Science F o u n d a t i o n has given to the University of California, San Diego. The m o n e y , given in the f o r m of a so called sea grant, is to be devoted to an extensive p r o g r a m m e o f e d u c a t i o n , training and research, and to the advisory services c o n c e r n e d w i t h the e x p l o i t a t i o n of ocean resources. Much of the grant goes to the Scripps I n s t i t u t i o n of Oceanography, where it will help to finance studies of the degradation, preservation and e n h a n c e m e n t o f the coast. An i m p o r t a n t aspect of this effort will be investigations of the physical factors which influence coastal planning. There will be studies o f the dispersion of thermal and o t h e r non-persistent pollutants, and ocean engineers will concentrate on the c o n t i n e n t a l shelf sediments. The fruits of this venture are e x p e c t e d to be applicable to future e x p l o i t a t i o n o f the shelf area, for e x a m p l e the laying of deep pipelines or the w o r k i n g of undersea oil fields. Pesticides will be investigated in the p l a n k t o n and fish which are associated with the California current, and the effects o f salinity, heat and o t h e r pollutants will be e x a m i n e d too, in relation to the feeding and survival of larval fish. There are also thoughts of m a k i n g use of the heat p r o d u c e d by local p o w e r plants, thus turning what is now considered to be harmful p o l l u t i o n into a useful c o m m o d i t y . The people involved in the investigations feel that it m a y be possible to avoid the p r o b l e m o f thermal pollution and gain the benefits of n u t r i e n t rich w a t e r by p u m p i n g up deep cold water to c o o l the p o w e r plant, and discharging it at normal surface temperatures.
observed in some of the nesting adults. The birds leave the nests exposed for long periods, sometimes deserting t h e m altogether. Dr Gress believes that this may be related to alterations in c o n c e n t r a t i o n s of h o r m o n e . DDT causes the induction of certain e n z y m e s that break d o w n steroids, including oestrogen, and this alters the h o r m o n e balance, leading to a r e d u c t i o n in prolactin, which is necessary for b r o o d i n g behaviour, to less than the normal level. These p h e n o m e n a are n o t confined to the coast of southern California. B r o w n pelicans on the west side of the Baja California peninsular failed almost c o m p l e t e l y to reproduce, and those nesting on the western coast of Mexico and also in Florida are beginning to show the same effects.
Sampling at the South Pole Six intrepid scientists will soon be setting out to investigate pollution in the Antarctic. As part of the US Antarctic Research Program, which is sponsored by the Narional Science Foundation, they will e x a m i n e the health of the a t m o s p h e r e and m o n i t o r the distribution of various chlorinated hydrocarbons. Following the discovery of traces of lead in samples of Antarctic ice several years ago, the Antarctic atmosphere will be sampled for lead, copper, iron, aluminium and o t h e r metals. The c o n c e n t r a t i o n s f o u n d will be c o m p a r e d with those f o u n d in the N o r t h and S o u t h Atlantic Oceans and in Hawaii. This should provide some valuable i n f o r m a t i o n about the global transport of such pollutants. The reproductive success of Wilson's petrels will be w a t c h e d for clues about the distribution of chlorinated hydrocarbons. Wilson's petrels are k n o w n to be accumulating large quantities of these pollutants, which in several species have caused eggshells to be too thin for survival. Signs of reproductive failure due to this cause should therefore be a guide to the m o v e m e n t s of chlorinated hydrocarbons. There will also be a watch on the distrib u t i o n of p o l y c h l o r i n a t e d biphenyls in the Antarctic.
DDT and Birds' Eggs
Boom on Trial
Due to high c o n c e n t r a t i o n s of pollutants (1,200 parts per million of D D E have been recorded), seabirds off the Californian coast are laying eggs w i t h such thin shells that t h e y are b r o k e n before they hatch. Dr Franklin Gress of the D e p a r t m e n t o f Zoology, University o f California, Berkeley, in a report circulated by the S m i t h s o n i a n Institution Center for Short-lived Phenomena, states that the b r o w n pelican has had reproductive difficulties for the past 2-3 years, and it is even feared that it is in danger of e x t i n c t i o n because of c o n t a m i n a t i o n w i t h large a m o u n t s of chlorinated h y d r o c a r b o n residues. It was first n o t i c e d in 1962 that the shells were thinner than usual. Of the 550 nest a t t e m p t s on A n a c a p a Island (about 8 k m off the coast at Ventura) in 1969, there was only one hatch which p r o d u c e d five young, and 53 per c e n t of the eggs collected last year had abnormally thin shells. The thinnest shell was 0.14 mm thick, which is little more than the 0.11 m m thickness of the m e m b r a n e . Most of the eggs were crushed w h e n the birds tried to incubate t h e m and on analysis, the eggs were f o u n d to c o n t a i n 2,600 p.p.m, o f DDE, the principal m e t a b o l i t e of D D T . In addition, apparently a b n o r m a l behaviour has been
This floating boom for containing oil on the open sea is on trial at Portsmouth. Designed by Captain W. H. Sandford and manufactured by RFD-GQ Ltd., Godalming, Surrey, it is being tested under supervision from the Ministry of Technology's Hydraulics Research Station.
164