. Commercial fisheries review. Fisheries; Fish trade. BCF Scientists Assess Effect of Oil Spillage in Santa Barbara Channel On Jan. 30,1969, Union Oil Alpha Drilling Tower, located 3 miles offshore from Santa Barbara, Calif., began leaking crude oil at a rate of about 20,000 gallons per day. The leak continued, on and off, to the end of Feb- ruary, when this report was written, despite all efforts to halt it. A total spillage of per- haps 5,000,000 gallons was spread over the Santa Barbara Channel, including 30-40 miles of coastline, and the offshore island of Ana- capa. The most obvious biolo
. Commercial fisheries review. Fisheries; Fish trade. BCF Scientists Assess Effect of Oil Spillage in Santa Barbara Channel On Jan. 30,1969, Union Oil Alpha Drilling Tower, located 3 miles offshore from Santa Barbara, Calif., began leaking crude oil at a rate of about 20,000 gallons per day. The leak continued, on and off, to the end of Feb- ruary, when this report was written, despite all efforts to halt it. A total spillage of per- haps 5,000,000 gallons was spread over the Santa Barbara Channel, including 30-40 miles of coastline, and the offshore island of Ana- capa. The most obvious biological effects of the spillage were on the nearshore fauna of the kelp beds, the intertidal zone (where State and university ecologists were actively working), and on marine birds and mammals. BCF-La Jolla decided that a short cruise of its 'David Starr Jordan' would be mounted by staff of the Fishery-Oceanography Center to investigate effects on the offshore pelagic ecosystem, primarily to determine if reduced viability of fish eggs and larvae could be detected. It was also hoped to observe effects of oil cover on: phytoplankton and microzooplank- ton; near-surface oxygen and nutrients; and light transmittance. Part of these objectives were to be the responsibility of ecologists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who participated in the cruise with Bureau scien- tists led by Dr. Paul Smith. Jordan In Action Jordan was in the polluted area on Feb. 11, 1969. The scientists first made a visual reconnaissance at Alpha Tower of light trans - mittance. Beneath primary slicks of brown crude oil, before they had aggregated to tar or spread to the iridescent form, ambient light at about 2 m. below the oilwas only This was 10% of what it was at the same depth below clean water just outside the slick, so light absorption by floating crude oil appears to be extremely high. This is an important factor to remember in phytoplankton ecology where such cover remains in situ for long
Size: 2534px × 987px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., book, bookcentury1900, booksubjectfisheries, booksubjectfishtrade
