Seabirds suffer severe feather damage following minor oil spills

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-10-05 10:01

International

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Tiny amounts of crude oil on the ocean’s surface can reduce the water-proofing abilities of seabird feathers more than thick oil sheens, according to Irish researchers. At the same time, heavy oiling scenarios can increase the mass of a single feather by up to 1000%, with dire implications for the amount of energy needed to take flight, forage, and reproduce. While the study specifically analysed the effects of crude oil on the feathers of the Manx Shearwater, the results can be applied to many seabird species to help us understand the impact of oil spills worldwide.

Media release

From: The Royal Society

Light to intermediate oil sheens increase Manx shearwater feather permeability

Oil pollution poses a considerable threat to many seabirds. Our study species, the Manx shearwater, spends considerable time on the water surface resting or socialising, so is particularly vulnerable to surface oil pollution. Here we show that even trace amounts of crude oil on the surface of water has a significant impact on the waterproofing functionality of body feathers. The results of this study can be applied to many seabird species, and provides insight into how oil exposure can impact fitness and survival of seabird populations.

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Research The Royal Society, Web page

Journal/
conference: Royal Society Open Science

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University College Cork, Ireland

Funder: .J.D. was supported by an Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate award (grant number EPSPG/2019/469).

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