Recovery of a Salt Marsh in Pembrokeshire, South-west Wales, from pollution by crude oil

Abstract

Bentlass Salt Marsh, near Pembroke, south-west Wales, was polluted by Kuwait crude oil in January 1967. Frequency data taken in June 1967, June 1967, and June 1968, show that some species were more affected than others by the oil. In June 1967, Suaeda maritima, Salicornia spp., Halimione portulacoides, and filamentous green Algae, showed the greatest reduction of frequency, while Aster tripolium, Cochlearia spp., Triglochin maritima, Puccinellia maritima, Juncus gerardi, Limonium humile, and Spartina townsendii, showed some reduction. At this time frequencies of Festuca rubra, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Artemisia maritima, Glaux maritima, and Spergularia spp., were not significantly lower than the pre-spill levels. By June 1968 most of the species which were affected in 1967 showed some recovery, the exception being Triglochin maritima, the ill-effect on which had increased. The species with the greatest coverage, Festuca rubra in the upper marsh, Puccinellia maritima in the mid-marsch, and Spartina townsendii in the lower marsh, had all recovered more or less completely by June 1968.