Citation: Myers, A.A., Southgate, T. & Cross, T.F. 1980 Distinguishing the effects of oil pollution from natural cyclic phenomena on the biota of Bantry Bay, Ireland. Marine Pollution Bulletin 11: 203-207
Number of Pages: 5
Keywords: Alga, Barnacle, Cork, Crustacea, Fauna, Flora, Littoral, Marine, Mollusca, Monitoring, Pollution, Seaweed
Abstract: Paper reports on marked declines in the numbers/percentage cover of four common species of littoral organisms which occurred between July 1978 and July 1979 on mainland shores in Bantry Bay, Ireland. Regular monthly monitoring enabled most of these declines to be related to natural phenomena rather than to pollution of the Bay by oil from the tanker Betelgeuse which exploded in January 1979. Only Pelvetia canaliculata and recently settled spat of Balanus balanoides showed any indication of having been affected by oil/dispersants. By contrast, the north shore of Whiddy Island was severely affected.