A study shows that only a small amount of oil damages the feathers of seabirds

Small amounts of crude oil on the surface of water, less than one per cent of the thickness of a hair, can damage the feathers of seabirds, University College Cork (UCC) research has revealed.

Researchers from the Marine Ecology Group at UCC in Ireland have collected feathers from Manx petrel, a species of seabirds They are believed to be at risk of oil pollution. The researchers tested the feathers to see how quickly water would pass through them when exposed to increasing concentrations of oil. Feathers were also evaluated under powerful microscopes to study structural changes after infection.

This study showed that a very fine oil sheen of 0.1 to 3 micrometers in thickness is sufficient to have a significant effect on feather structure and affect waterproofing. Other studies have shown that seabirds exposed to oil become flooded more often, become cold and less buoyant.

Crude oil (crude oil) has spilled into the sea in huge volumes due to disasters such as the Exxon Valdez and Sea Empress spills. It is also regularly released into the environment in moderate amounts due to mining and transportation. Oil pollution poses a significant threat to many already threatened seabird populations.

Emma Murphy, lead author of the study, said: “Chronic toddler oil pollution usually ignored in the marine environment, although it has been shown to have serious consequences for seabird fitness and survival. This study looked at one species, but the results can be extended to other species that depend on waterproofing to stay healthy during long periods at sea.”

Even when oil is released in moderate volumes from production and transportation infrastructure, it can spread over the sea surface quite quickly, and quite a large area of ​​the sea can be covered with oil in concentrations that can be harmful to seabirds.

The study appears in Royal Society for Open Science.