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Mystery spill of Polyisobutylene (C4H8)n off the Dutch coast affecting seabirds in March 2010

Camphuysen, C. J.1* ORCID logo, Schouten, S.1 and Gronert, A.2

https://doi.org/10.61350/sbj.23.143

1 Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands

2 Plein 1945 nr. 9, 1755 NH Petten, The Netherlands

Full paper

Introduction

Levels of chronic oil pollution in the marine environment are declining worldwide and certainly so in the southern North Sea (Anon. 1992, 1993; Camphuysen 1998, 2010). This is most likely the result of a combination of factors, including intensified and more effective aerial surveillance (remote sensing), legislation, human attitude, and enhanced possibilities to discharge unwanted substances in oil reception facilities in harbours. Beached bird surveys have documented this decline in considerable detail (Camphuysen 2010).

References

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Anon. 1993. GESAMP reports decline in oil pollution. Marine Pollution Bulletin 26: 471–472. [Crossref]

Camphuysen, C. J. 1998. Beached bird surveys indicate decline in chronic oil pollution in the North Sea. Marine Pollution Bulletin 36: 519–526. [Crossref]

Camphuysen, C. J. 2010. Declines in oil rates of stranded birds in the North Sea highlight spatial patterns in reductions of chronic oil pollution. Marine Pollution Bulletin doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.03.012. [Crossref]

Camphuysen, C. J., Barreveld, H., Dahlmann, G. & van Franeker, J. A. 1999. Seabirds in the North Sea demobilised and killed by polyisobutylene (C4H8)n. Marine Pollution Bulletin 38: 1171–1176. [Crossref]

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