No. 2 fuel oil decreases embryonic survival of great black-backed gulls

The great black-backed gull (Larus marinus) is widespread in the northern hemisphere, breeding south to Britain and Ireland on the European side of the Atlantic and to Long Island in the United States where populations have increased markedly during the last 50 years. With growing exploitation of oil/resources resources, seabird populations are being increasingly threatened by accidental oiling of individuals and the subsequent contamination of their eggs and young. It is generally agreed that gulls and terns, which spend much of their time airborne, are less vulnerable to oil pollution than alcids and seaducks. Nevertheless, oiled great black-backed gulls were sighted after the Argo Merchant spill off Nantucket Island in December 1976, demonstrating that this species of gull can be affected by surface oil. In this paper results are reported of two concurrent studies in which eggs of the great black-backed gull were externally contaminated with No. 2 fuel oil.