石油泄漏对暴风海燕群体的短期影响

2002年11月原油泄漏前后,我们对伊比利亚半岛比斯开湾内的Aketx岛上的暴风海燕(Hydrobatespelagicus)进行了监测。1993 -2005年期间,利用雾网法调查了暴风海燕的数量,并通过直接观察法来统计雏鸟出飞率。在石油泄漏前,暴风海燕的种群数量亦存在年际波动,天气变化和食物丰盛度可能是引起这一现象的根本原因。在2003年,繁殖个体的身体条件较前些年差,繁殖对的数量和雏鸟成活率也有所下降。2004年繁殖对的数量明显少于2003年,繁殖个体的身体状况稍强于2003年,且所有卵都孵化成功。2005年的种群数量已经回升到石油泄漏前的水平,几乎所有配对的暴风海燕都能成功繁殖,亲鸟的身体条件也恢复到了石油泄漏前的水平。值得注意的是,这一群体中幼年个体的数量仍在减少,表明石油污染对种群数量的影响仍然存在,确定污染物在体内积累对这些海鸟所造成的影响将是下一步研究的重点。

Short-term effects of the prestige oil spill on a colony of European storm-petrels Hydrobates pelagicus

We monitored a colony of European storm-petrels Hydrobates pelagicus before and after the Prestige oil spill (November 2002) at Aketx Island (Gulf of Biscay, Northern Iberian Peninsula). A census of a part of the colony was carried out by mist-netting birds between 1993 and 2005, whereas fledgling success was studied by direct observation of the nests. Before the spill, the population of the colony was characterised by oscillations among years. The bird's sensitivity to changing weather and prey availability are probably the ultimate causes of the fluctuations. During the 2003 breeding season, the body condition of breeding storm-petrels was worse than previous years and the number of breeding pairs and fledgling success diminished. In 2004, the number of storm-petrels that bred was less than the year before, the body condition of those birds was bad but slightly better than in 2003 and all the clutches were successful. In 2005, the number of ringed storm-petrels reached the level before the oil spill, almost all of the detected pairings were successful and the body condition of those birds was similar to the years before the sinking. However, the reduction of the minimal age of the studied birds continued, suggesting an effect of oil pollution on population turnover. Further studies must determine exactly the effects of pollutant bioaccumulation on these seabirds [Acta Zoologica Sinica 52 (6): 1042 - 1048, 2006].