Oil pollution and seabirds: Atlantic Canada 1976–1977 and some implications for northern environments

Chemical analyses of the oils on dead or moribund seabirds from Atlantic Canada during the winter of 1976–1977 indicated that some of the birds were contaminated with oil spilled by the Argo Merchant grounding, some by oil probably from the Grand Zenith sinking, and still others by oil from various small local spills of unknown origin. These victims demonstrated that an extremely minute oiling may lead to the death of a seabird when the effects of the oil are synergistically combined with the stresses imposed by severe environmental conditions. This may intensify the impact of oil in the Arctic and thereby have a profound effect on seabird populations.