Abstract
Experimental oilings with weathered Ekofisk crude oil were carried out in the rocky intertidal zone of a Norwegian fjord. The flora and fauna of the intertidal were sampled to determine the impact of the experimental oilings and to determine whether the impact was affected by the following variables: 1. (1) differing exposure levels of oil, 2. (2) varied temporal duration of the experimental oil spills, 3. (3) differences in wave action at the spill sites, and 4. (4) the seasonality of the spill. Negative impacts of oil on the adult flora and fauna were minimal for the concentrations and durations used, nor was there any apparent influence on the degree of impact by the variables tested. Juvenile stages appeared to be somewhat more sensitive to oil. It is suggested that in Norwegian rocky intertidal communities the most serious potential impact of spillages of Ekofisk oil is the disruption of settlement and growth among juvenile organisms.
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