THE IMPACT OF OIL SPILLS ON SEABIRDS
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HANDBOOK ON OIL IMPACT
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4.0 SPILL RESPONSE
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North Sea
 recently well covered, vulnerability atlas available

Countries involved: Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, United Kingdom, Norway

Seabirds in the area: internationally important breeding populations of auks, gannets, and
cormorants. Small numbers of inland breeding seaduck and divers. Internationally important
pathway for numerous species of migratory seabirds. Internationally important wintering areas of
auks, divers, seaduck, some wintering Gannets.

Species of particular conservation concern:

Standardised studies of seabirds at sea: extensive seabird surveys in recent years completed
and reported; winter data set relatively small and fragmented. Published material and data sets
include area overviews (Blake et al. 1984, Tasker et al. 1987, Stone et al. 1995) as wel as
regional studies (Camphuysen & Leopold 1994, Garthe et al. 1995, Offringa et al. 1995, Mitschke
et al. 2001, Diederichs et al. 2002 Garthe 2003ab, Garthe et al. 2004). Monitoring ongoing on
national level and as joint international research project (European Seabirds at Sea database;
Reid & Camphuysen 1998).

OVI evaluation and area sensitivity: vulnerability atlases produced, using species specific OVI
analysis and seabird abundance data on a monthly basis (Tasker & Pienkowski 1987, Skov et al.
1992, Carter et al. 1993). Marine Important Bird Area (IBA) atlases have been produced (Skov et
al. 1995, Maes et al. 2000, Seys et al. 2001).

Anticipated sensitivity to chronic oil pollution: locally very high; clearly identified seasonal and
spatial patterns in sensitivity published (Tasker & Pienkowski 1987, Skov & Durinck 1992, Carter
et al. 1993)

Special work: Sensitivity maps, covering all biota, have been developed for German North Sea
coasts since a feasibility study during 1983-87 and have been updated for the German North Sea
coast and Baltic coastal areas. As part of the German Contingency Planning for Marine Pollution
Control, these maps will be extended to cover German offshore areas in the (near) future (van
Bernam et al. 1994).
References
Blake B.F., Tasker M.L., Jones P.H., Dixon T.J., Mitchell R. & Langslow D.R. 1984. Seabird Distribution in the
North Sea. Nature Conservancy Council, Huntingdon.
NORTH SEA – HANDBOOK ON OIL SPILL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
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THE IMPACT OF OIL SPILLS ON SEABIRDS
HANDBOOK DOCUMENTS
Camphuysen C.J. & Leopold M.F. 1994. Atlas of seabirds in the southern North Sea. IBN Research report 94/6,
NIOZ-Report 1994-8, Institute for Forestry and Nature Research, Netherlands Institute for Sea Research
and Dutch Seabird Group, Texel.
Carter I.C., Williams J.M., Webb, A. & Tasker M.L. 1993. Seabird concentrations in the North Sea: an atlas of
vulnerability to surface pollutants. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Aberdeen, 39pp.
Diederichs A., Nehls G. & Petersen I.K. 2002. Flugzeugzählungen zur großflächigen Erfassung von Seevögeln und
marinen Säugern als Grundlage für Umweltverträglichkeitsstudien im Offshorebereich. Seevögel 23(2): 3846.
Garthe S. 2003a. Erfassung von Rastvögeln in der deutschen AWZ von Nord- und Ostsee. Forschungs- und
Technologiezentrum Westküste (FTZ), Büsum, 68pp.
Garthe S. 2003b. Verteilungsmuster und Bestände von Seevögeln in der Ausschließlichen Wirtschaftszone (AWZ)
der deutschen Nord- und Ostsee und Fachvorschläge für EU-Vogelschutzgebiete. Ber. Vogelschutz 40:
15-56.
Garthe S., Alicki K., Hüppop O. & Sprotte B. 1995. Die Verbreitung und Häufigkeit ausgewählter See- und
Küstenvogelarten während der Brutzeit in der südöstlichen Nordsee. J. Orn. 136: 253-266.
Garthe S., Dierschke V., Weichler T. & Schwemmer P. 2004. Rastvogelvorkommen und OffshoreWindkraftnutzung: Analyse des Konfliktpotenzials für die deutsche Nord- und Ostsee. Final report of project
5 of the project consortium "Marine Warmblüter in Nord- und Ostsee: Grundlagen zur Bewertung von
Windkraftanlagen im Offshorebereich (MINOS)".
Maes F., Cliquet A., Seys J., Meire P. & Offringa H. 2000. Limited Atlas of the Belgian Part of the North Sea.
Institute of Nature Conservation, Brussel.
Mitschke A., Garthe S. & Hüppop O. 2001. Erfassung der Verbreitung, Häufigkeiten und Wanderungen von Seeund Wasservögeln in der deutschen Nordsee und Entwicklung eines Konzeptes zur Umsetzung
internationaler Naturschutzziele. BfN-Skripten 34: 1-100.
Offringa H., Seys J., Bossche W. van den & Meire P. 1995. Seabirds on the Channel doormat. Rapp. IN 95.12,
Instituut voor Natuurbehoud, Hasselt.
Reid J. & Camphuysen C.J. 1998. The European Seabirds at Sea database. In: Spina S. & Grattarola A. (eds).
Proceedings of the 1st meeting of the European Orn. Union. Biol. Cons. Fauna 102: 291.
Seys J., Meire P. & Kuijken E. 2001. Focal species and the designation and management of marine protected
areas: sea- and coastal birds in Belgian marine waters. In: Seys J. Sea- and coastal bird data as tools in
the policy and management of Belgian marine waters: 40-67. PhD-thesis, University of Gent, Gent.
Skov H. & Durinck J. 1992. Atlas of seabird vulnerability to oil pollution in the Danish sector of the open North Sea.
Comm. by North Sea Operators Comm., Denmark. Unpubl. report Ornis Consul, Copenhagen.
Skov H., Durinck J., Leopold M.F. & Tasker M.L. 1995. Important bird areas for seabirds in the North Sea, including
the Channel and the Kattegat. Birdlife International, Cambridge, 156pp.
Stone C.J., Webb A., Barton C., Ratcliffe N., Reed T.C., Tasker M.L., Camphuysen C.J. & Pienkowski M.W. 1995.
An atlas of seabird distribution in north-west European waters. Joint Nature Conservation Committee,
Peterborough, 326pp.
Tasker M.L. & Pienkowski M.W. 1987. Vulnerable concentrations of birds in the North Sea. Nature Conserv.
Council, Peterborough.
Tasker M.L., Webb A., Hall A.J., Pienkowski M.W. & Langslow D.R. 1987. Seabirds in the North Sea. Nature
Conserv. Council, Peterborough.
Williams J.M., Tasker M.L., Carter I.C. & Webb A. 1995. A method of assessing seabird vulnerability to surface
pollutants. Ibis 137: S147-S152.
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HANDBOOK DOCUMENTS
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