Oiled Wildlife Response Research Articles

Techniques for hazing and deterring birds during an oil spill

Preventing wildlife from becoming oiled is the priority in an oiled wildlife response. This is achieved through diverting spilled oil away from wildlife, or hazing, deterring, or excluding wildlife from oiled areas. This paper undertakes an international review of techniques deployed for hazing and deterring birds, the taxa most affected, during oil spills. Using these techniques as a baseline it then compares what techniques are used in New Zealand at airports, in agriculture, and at waste management facilities, to assess what could readily be deployed in New Zealand during oil spills, as currently there are few options planned for. As international literature suggests, the best technique is to use a variety of methods for targeted species to reduce habituation. This review highlights international practices that could be tested and implemented, to allow for planning for effective hazing and deterrence practices in New Zealand.

Oiled wildlife response planning for subantarctic islands: A review for New Zealand subantarctics

The world's subantarctic islands are rare, ecologically distinct ecosystems with geographical and climahemistic challenges for undertaking emergency response. Their remoteness has somewhat protected them and their flora and fauna from environmental pollution threats and impacts. However, with increasing tourism, fishing, oil and gas exploration and shipping routes, the risk of accidents and petroleum spills has exponentially increased. This review explores the uniqueness of New Zealand's (NZ) subantarctic islands, their oil spill threats and the legislation protecting them. Then using this background information; use the NZ subantarctic islands as examples to understand oiled wildlife response options for subantarctic islands. There are obvious logistical constraints on ability to respond in these remote areas. However, with planning, including preparation of specialised plans, equipment and readiness of skilled response personnel; the conservation outcomes for these ecologically significant, isolated areas, is greater preparedness and protection with the increased ability to respond effectively.

Creating a legacy of oiled wildlife response preparedness through the post-Macondo Oil Spill Response - Joint Industry Project

ABSTRACT In 2015, an ambitious wildlife response preparedness project was initiated; funded as part of the post-Macondo IPIECA-IOGP (International Association of Oil and Gas Producers) Oil Spill Response Joint Industry Project (OSR-JIP). The Global Oiled Wildlife Response System (GOWRS) Project, which involved 11 leading wildlife response organizations from seven countries, aimed to develop an international framework for oiled wildlife response as well as encourage the further development of wildlife response preparedness by industry and other stakeholders. This paper will provide an overview and assessment of the key outcomes of both the JIP-funded phase of the project (2015-16; development of internationally agreed standards and common operating procedures) and the second industry-funded phase (2017-18; focused on response readiness) in order to provide key background information to support the movement towards operationalizing the system.

Incorporating wildlife effectively into oil spill exercises – An Australian Story

Australia holds regular National oil spill exercises through the National Plan for Maritime Emergencies. Two National Plan exercise activities that have taken place include Exercise Northerly held in Darwin (Northern Territory) in 2014 and Exercise Torres focussed on the Torres Straits (Queensland) in 2018. The overall aim of the two exercises were to implement and review the effectiveness of a combined Commonwealth (Federal), Territory/State and industry marine pollution response to a Level 3 pollution incident. Both Exercise Northerly and Exercise Torres included oiled wildlife response actions to practice and test. Exercise Northerly for wildlife was principally a desk top activity that included a number of injects relating to wildlife threatened and impacted by an oil spill event. Wildlife considered in Northerly included cetaceans, dugong, marine reptiles and seabirds. The key wildlife objectives for Northerly were to establish and maintain a wildlife Incident Management Team under the broader Incident Command structure and develop wildlife incident action plans for hazing wildlife and responding to oil impacted wildlife. Exercise Torres incorporated both planning and field based operational activities and considered cetaceans, dugong, marine reptiles and seabirds both threatened and impacted by oil pollution. Wildlife planning during exercise Torres was principally held in Cairns at the established Incident Control Centre where incident action plans were developed to haze oil threatened wildlife, collect oiled impacted wildlife and then rehabilitate wildlife considering the strict quarantine restrictions imposed on wildlife movements through and out of the Torres Strait Protection Zone. The field deployment activities for Torres were then managed and undertaken through a forward operations base established on Waiben Island, some 800 kilometres or 500 miles north of Cairns that borders Papua New Guinea. The wildlife field teams were required to establish an oiled wildlife response centre making it fully operational with pre-deployed equipment, manage responder safety for actual dangerous wildlife in the area, respond to reports of impacted wildlife, transport impacted mock wildlife through the different contaminant hazard zones (i.e. hot, warm and cold zones) and then to the wildlife care centre, undertake wildlife assessment using narrative techniques, triage wildlife based on provided wildlife assessment data, decontaminate mock wildlife and then provide basic wildlife rehabilitation practices. Both of the National exercises provided effective opportunities to practice the skills necessary to support oiled wildlife response actions and to identify key learnings for better practices when responding to oiled wildlife threatened and impacted in remote areas.

Kenya's National Framework to Enhance the Response Capability to Oil Spills

ABSTRACT Investment in the oil and gas sector in the East Africa region should commingle with the incorporation of best practices in oil spill emergency response. Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream operations must focus on prevention of emergencies but always be prepared to implement response actions if all engineering and safety defenses fail. Elements of environmental stewardship, applied scientific research, and technology are among key considerations needed in contingency planning to mitigate the socioeconomic and ecological consequences of hydrocarbon releases. Kenya is in the process of realizing its oil and gas potential. The country has started injection and production testing of its oil reserves in Turkana and has initiated oil export through the Port of Mombasa. These activities, coupled with increased rate of sea borne trade and planned relocation of Kipevu Oil Terminal to an offshore platform, places the country at risk of oil spills and therefore the need to have a robust system of spill prevention, preparedness and response. The World Bank's International Development Assistance (IDA) recognized the relevance of enhancing preparedness and response capability and, through the Kenya Ministry of Petroleum and Mining, initiated the development of the national framework for onshore and offshore oil prevention, preparedness, and response capacity in Kenya. The project is divided into four phases (Identification, Development, Implementation, and Kenya's Regional (East Africa) Response Capacity Enhancement) and four primary deliverables: National Oil Spill Contingency Plan for Marine and Navigable WatersOnshore National Oil Spill Contingency PlanNational Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) Guidance ManualNational Oiled Wildlife Response and Preparedness Guidance Manual This paper provides an overview of the four phases, describes the approach used to meet the project objectives, and provides an overview of the national oil spill contingency plans and national guidance manuals.

The Bow Jubail Oiled Wildlife Incident: Success Factors of an International Tiered Response on the Basis of Standards of Good Practice

Abstract In June 2018, about 218 metric tons of heavy fuel oil gushed into the harbor of Rotterdam (NL) following the rupturing of the hull of the Bow Jubail at a jetty. Due to tidal activity, the oil from the unloaded chemical tanker quickly spread out over a 30+ km waterway where many hundreds of Mute swans were moulting at the time. A citizen's initiative quickly led to the capture of over 200 swans from the water and shores, and their transport to some bird rehab centers in the immediate neighborhood. For the authorities this massive impact that overwhelmed the available resources of the permanent centers was the trigger to activate the national oiled wildlife response plan. The activation of the national plan goes hand in hand with the decision to build a large temporary facility that needs to be fully operational within 48 hours to receive the impacted live animals for treatment. The building of the such a facility, but also the staffing that is needed to care for 600 impacted swans is a challenging task and needs fast decision taking by experts who can oversee the particular needs of swans, and are able to inform logistics about equipment and materials needed. In parallel, a large number of experts must be mobilized who can lead and process the impacted animals once the temporary facility is ready for operations. For some part these resources were available in the Netherlands, but many more experts needed to be mobilized from abroad. The mobilization procedures of both EUROWA network and the GOWRS network were activated, leading to a large number of experts who indicated their availability. Meanwhile, the authorities took decisions on the authorization of the international mobilization, and when green lighted, the experts were asked to come over. This paper describes the decision making in the early days, and the way that arriving experts were deployed in the facility. The use of international guidelines for this process and the ease by which international experts could work together thanks to many years of investments into local and international preparedness will be highlighted. The rehabilitation of 522 mute swans took a full month (30 days), after which 97.5% of the animals had been successfully released.

Species prioritization index for oiled wildlife response planning in New Zealand.

Birds are extremely vulnerable to the effects of oil pollution. For wildlife, prevention of oiling is the best response option, however if not feasible, the fastest response gives the highest chance of survival. Therefore, the development of an oiled wildlife preparedness plan based on analysis of areas at risk, vulnerable species and potential response options is critical. This research developed an area based, species priority index (SPI) for New Zealand birds to guide oiled wildlife planning. The SPI shows significant areas of New Zealand's shoreline and offshore islands have many highly vulnerable species that need careful consideration given restricted response options available. Identification of these areas and species allows priority planning for placement of personal and equipment. This SPI can be adapted for other species (marine mammals and reptiles) and for other geographical areas to help develop response plans for oil pollution and oiled wildlife response worldwide.

Captive husbandry and veterinary care of seabirds during the MV Rena oil spill response

Abstract ContextSeabirds were the most common taxa captured alive as part of the oiled wildlife response to the grounding of the container vessel MV Rena in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. AimsTo describe the management of seabirds during the spill response, to outline the common problems encountered and to make recommendations for future responses. MethodsSeabirds were collected from 7 October 2011 to 14 January 2012. They were stabilised and underwent pretreatment, washing and rinsing procedures to remove oil, followed by swimming physiotherapy to restore waterproofing and long-term housing in outdoor aviaries. The birds were released in batches close to the original sites of capture once the wild habitat was cleaned. Key results428 live seabirds were admitted. There were two temporal peaks in admissions associated with the ship grounding and when the ship broke up. The majority of live birds were little penguins (Eudyptula minor; 394/428, 92%). Most seabirds admitted (393/428, 91.8%) were contaminated with heavy fuel oil, with the remainder (35/428, 8.2%) found unoiled but starving and/or exhausted or with injuries. Little penguins had lower mortality during rehabilitation (28/394, 7.1%) than other seabird species combined (27/34, 79.4%). Seabirds in poorer body condition on arrival had higher mortality, and unoiled birds were also more likely to die than oiled birds. In oiled little penguins, the degree of oiling on the plumage ranged from 1 to 100%, but mortality was not significantly associated with the degree of oiling (P=0.887). Pododermatitis affected 66% of little penguins. The most common causes of death (n=45) included weakness, anaemia and hypothermia in oiled seabirds (16/45, 35.6%), and starvation and weakness in unoiled seabirds (14/45, 31.1%). ConclusionsTotal survival to release was 87.1%, primarily influenced by the species involved and the body condition of the birds on arrival. Unoiled seabirds had higher mortality rates than oiled seabirds. ImplicationsOiled wildlife can be rehabilitated with good success, even when heavily oiled, or to a lesser extent, when found in poor body condition. More work is needed to refine species-specific rehabilitation protocols for seabirds, especially for those being admitted in emaciated body condition.

Efficacy of seawater for washing oiled birds during an oil spill response

Aquatic pollution events can be detrimental to the survival of wildlife, particularly birds. To decontaminate affected birds, large quantities of fresh water are required. A recent study using seabird feathers, demonstrated that seawater wash/rinse can effectively remove oil from feathers. However to determine whether seawater was effective for live birds, we used 36 mallard ducks to replicate the oiled feather wash/rinse study. We investigated the time and volume of water used, bird water-proofing scores after daily swims and a barbule amalgamation index (BAI), for feathers collected at stages throughout the process. Results indicate that for oiled mallard ducks, the use of seawater for decontamination wash/rinse was effective. Seawater wash however, took longer and used a greater quantity of water. Time to birds being waterproof, was not significantly different between groups. The use of seawater has worldwide application for oiled wildlife response activities particularly in areas where freshwater supplies are limited.

Oiled Wildlife Response Training, OWRT: An International training course for readiness and preparedness in oiled wildlife response

During an oil spill, the response to oiled wildlife is a highly publicized and scrutinized activity. When oil threatens wildlife, there is high public and media interest due to the high intrinsic value and vulnerability of the natural environment and wildlife within. The effectiveness and speed of an oiled wildlife response can significantly influence media coverage and the overall public perception of the impacts of a spill and the effectiveness of a spill response. Wild base, Massey University, New Zealand and the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, University of California at Davis, USA, have teamed up to write and deliver the world's first University-led on-line and face to face oiled wildlife response training courses (OWRT) for the international market. World leaders in higher education and oiled wildlife research, Massey University and UC Davis are the only two universities in the world with comprehensive oiled wildlife readiness and response teams. The OWRT courses on offer allow for multiple pathways to be undertaken to meet specific organisational oiled wildlife response needs from training entry-level personnel in rehabilitation, field operations or facility development, to team leaders in planning and preparation and managers of an oiled wildlife response. Theoretical courses are delivered online utilizing modern and interactive technology, with face-to-face delivery of practical skills. Courses have been developed using internationally recognised good practice standards, based on intended learning outcomes, ensuring specific skills necessary for key roles in a comprehensive readiness program. Having trained and in-house oiled wildlife response staff expands your organisations response and readiness capabilities. When the world is watching, speed is critical to both protect wildlife and to foster a positive public perception. www.owrt.org

Impact and Implications of an International Oiled Wildlife Response Preparedness Project

ABSTRACT 2017-133 December 2016 marked the conclusion of a two-year global oiled wildlife response preparedness project, funded by the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers/IPIECA Oil Spill Response-Joint Industry Project (IOGP/IPIECA OSR-JIP). This project brought together leading oiled wildlife response organizations from seven countries to design a preparedness and response system that would support the mobilization and integration of tier 3 (international) wildlife response resources if activated by the oil industry or other stakeholders. The project outcomes include written standards and procedures that represent a further step towards integration of oiled wildlife preparedness and response as an oil industry standard worldwide, and allow for the foundations of a global approach to be built upon good practice as defined by the international oiled wildlife response community. 2017 sees the system entering a second (beta) phase with a further funding commitment being provided by the oil industry via Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL). Building on the introduction and overview to this project as presented at the International Oil Spill Conference in 2014 (Kelway et al., 2014), this paper will explore key outcomes and assess the project’s impact and implications, particularly in relation to the present and future role of multi-stakeholder collaboration in the advancement of global oiled wildlife response preparedness.

Managing human risk during an oiled wildlife response

ABSTRACT 2017-066 Human risks during an oiled wildlife response (OWR) can be divided principally amongst physical, chemical and biological hazards. This paper identifies the risks associated with these hazards to oiled wildlife responders, other responders and the general public. Hazards and risks are managed by specific risk management procedures. These commonly include identifying individual steps in the activity, identifying associated hazards and risks, quantifying the risks and then applying treatments and controls to eliminate or reduce risk exposure to an acceptable level. For treatments and controls to manage risks effectively these are applied as a part of pre-incident contingency planning, during incidents and post incidents. Treatments and controls identified in the paper include responder training, registration of personnel, incident planning, use of safety data sheet recommendations, personal protection equipment, minimising exposure times, applying call in procedures and communication systems, making available emergency supportive equipment, providing food and fluids, vaccinations for responders, applying dangerous wildlife risk reduction practices, safe manual handling and transportation practices, safe motor driving and vessel handling practices, fatigue management practices, working in pairs as a minimum requirement, safety precautions when working near water and at industrial sites, equipment maintenance and safe use, safe practices around sharps, compliant waste disposal practices, reporting mechanisms for near misses and injuries and the systems to prevent their re-occurrence. Mental health hazards during incidents and post incident phases are also a key feature to manage and are often overlooked. Risks associated with mental health include stress and trauma. Supportive treatments and controls include response planning, professional counselling and medical support. The information to develop this paper was taken from a range of international responses.

An Overview of Volunteer Efforts during the Refugio Oil Spill Incident in Santa Barbara, California

Abstract # 2017-168 Historically in California volunteers have been incorporated into oiled wildlife response since the late 1990s. Prior to the Refugio Oil Spill (ROS) incident in May 2015, California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) had not managed Community Volunteers for non-wildlife activities, such as oiled shoreline cleanup. In the first days of the ROS event, members of the public who were interested in volunteering became frustrated, in part due to poor communication regarding volunteer use protocols and initial lack of an established volunteer management structure. Political expectations, in a highly urbanized and environmentally conscious community, also played a role. This paper will address, in part, how the public’s reaction to the ROS created an opportunity to test the Los Angeles / Long Beach Area Contingency Plan Non-Wildlife Volunteer Plan (LA/LB ACP - NWVP)1, and highlight lessons learned from the event and resulting changes to the volunteer program that have evolved.

SENSITIVITY MAPPING FOR OIL SPILL RESPONSE: A COMPREHENSIVE FRAMEWORK TO IDENTIFY WILDLIFE AND AREAS AT RISK ALONG THE COASTLINE OF BRAZIL

2017-365 Abstract The Environmental Mapping for Emergency Response at Sea Project (Mapeamento Ambiental para a Resposta à Emergência no Mar – MAREM, in Portuguese) resulted from a collaborative agreement between the Brazilian Institute of Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (IBP) and the Brazilian Federal Environmental Agency (IBAMA). In order to provide support for planning and management of response operations involving marine oil spills, MAREM’s first and second phases, named Shoreline Protection and Cleanup Project (Projeto de Proteção e Limpeza de Costa – PPLC), created a geo-referenced database of the entire Brazilian coastline (approximately 7,500 km) in 2013. MAREM’s third phase was the Wildlife Protection Project (Projeto de Proteção à Fauna). It started in 2015 and was developed by a consortium involving Aiuká, Witt O’Brien’s Brasil and national and international experts. The Wildlife Protection Project identified, compiled and mapped relevant information on coastal and marine wildlife at risk from oil spill incidents and associated responses along the Brazilian coastline. The Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone was divided into 18 geographic units to facilitate the integration of marine, freshwater and terrestrial biogeographical data, regional geopolitics, and the incorporation of the zonal management of national oil production. Standardized decision trees were developed to provide an objective and consistent method for the identification of priority species and areas for protection in the event of an oil spill within each management unit. The decision trees incorporated previously identified critical habitats or natural resources meeting international conservation strategies (such as Ramsar wetlands, Important Bird Areas and the World Heritage Convention) and the Brazilian National Action Plans for Species Conservation. Species were classified by integrating two components: (a) assessing their vulnerability to oil spills using standardized criteria, and (b) their conservation status under international, national and regional conventions to generate an assessed prioritization for protection in case of oil spills, minimizing potential impacts. The Wildlife Protection Project has produced (i) a comprehensive dataset on species and habitat vulnerability in Brazil, and (ii) and a publicly-available WebGIS database of the critical information relevant to oil spill responses and response management, available at www.marem-br.com.br. These two products contain key information on the biology, distribution, seasonality and behavior of the identified vulnerable species, in conjunction with operational information on the locations, biological, geopolitical and logistic aspects of the priority areas identified. Factsheets were produced for each high-priority species and areas, compiling selected details in a readily accessible format for field teams involved in oil spill responses. The Wildlife Protection Project represents an unprecedented and unique approach for oiled wildlife planning and response in Brazil.

Inland Oiled Wildlife Response: It’s a Different Animal

ABSTRACT 2017-311 The Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) was established in 1994 to address the need for timely, consistent, and professional science-based preparedness and response for wildlife at risk from oil spills occurring in the marine waters of California. Its mission focused on providing a high level of professional care based on the best available technology and science combined with the experience of many organizations that were pioneers in the field of wildlife rehabilitation. Since that time, the OWCN and its now more than 35 members have responded to over 100 spills while caring for more than 8,200 impacted animals. In 2014, in response to the increased risk due to changing sources and transport patterns in oil coming to refineries in California, the State legislature expanded the OWCN’s responsibility to include responding to oiled wildlife impacted during oil spills in all surface waters of California. Since then, the OWCN has worked to expand its plan and resources to ensure readiness to provide best achievable capture and care to a host of new species in the myriad of habitats and locations found in a large and ecologically diverse state. The biggest challenges to this expansion are the increased diversity of species and their habitats (California has 233 species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians), and the increase in geographical scope. Working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (specifically the Office of Spill Prevention and Response, or OSPR), the OWCN staff have identified species at risk and response challenges unique to an inland environment and terrestrial species and the appropriate resources meet those challenges and fill current gaps. We have incorporated lessons learned by colleagues during wildlife responses to inland spills including CNR Lake Wabamun (2005), Enbridge Kalamazoo River (2010), Silvertip Pipeline Yellowstone River (2011), and CNRL Cold Lake (2013). We have repurposed and redesigned existing equipment as well as acquiring additional mobile equipment to increase capacity and decrease response time. We have identified and trained first responders over a wide geographical area focusing on regions with increased risk of incident and impacts while leveraging our current primary care facilities with field stabilization and wildlife transportation plans to achieve maximum flexibility and cost effectiveness. We detail both the process that was used to develop this expansion and the resulting additions to the wildlife plan aimed to provide best achievable care to all wildlife species impacted by an inland oil spill in California.

EXERCISE WESTWIND – A COLLABORATIVE OIL SPILL RESPONSE BY OIL & GAS OPERATORS AND AGENCIES.

Abstract On June 9th, 2015, ACME Oil Company’s rig suffered a dynamic positioned ‘run-off’. The mobile drilling unit lost its station above the wellhead and a loss of well control was experienced. “A massive environmental emergency unfolded…affecting pristine coastline and masses of wildlife”. Incident Management and Field Response Teams were activated in a multi-agency operation, bringing together 200 personnel from 16 oil and gas companies and 18 government agencies and third party providers. Source control, aerial, offshore, nearshore, shoreline and oiled wildlife response capabilities were deployed and national/international support was utilised. Jointly managed by the Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre (AMOSC), the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), the Federal Department of Industry and Science, and the Western Australian Department of Transport -Exercise Westwind was a successful multi-faceted marine spill response, demonstrating Australia’s collective Industry/Government capacity to respond to a large, offshore loss of well control incident in a remote and isolated location. ACME Oil Company was a fictitious company formed to enable the amalgamation of Australian petroleum companies to exercise industry arrangements under one ‘banner’ during the exercise period. ACME Oil Company had its own set of credentials, company website and Oil Pollution Emergency Plan. The company also held real time memberships with a number of service providers including AMOSC, Oil Spill Response Ltd, Trendsetter Engineering International, Oceaneering Australia and addenergy. Representing an innovative approach to spill response exercising, ACME Oil Company was a valuable and critical aspect to industry and governments participation under a non-attributable banner. Additionally, it enabled safe, widespread lessons to be observed, allowed for real-time testing of arrangements and provided a safe environment for regulators, stakeholder and industry interplay. The exercise was an efficient and practical solution for Industry titleholders and their third party supporting organisations, to test shared response resources and to ensure Industry arrangements for responding to oil pollution are in accordance with the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Environment) Regulations 2009. This paper will discuss the development program behind the exercise and the experience of managing an exercise of this nature. It will highlight the successes including the creation and implementation of a fictitious company and the extensive collaboration between the industry and government personnel involved. It will also look forward – where are we 11-months later? Can the history of exercising and/or response help us improve for the future-implementation of change and continued testing is critical in furthering our oil spill response capability and capacity.Exercise Westwind – Operational Phase TwoExercise Westwind – Operational Phase Two

Is the way an oil spill response is reported in the media important for the final perception of the clean-up?

This research investigates the media coverage during the C/V Rena grounding in New Zealand (NZ), in 2011, to analyze if information reported in printed media is important for the final perception of the overall oil spill response. We took all articles available from NZ's largest circulated newspaper and the regional newspaper closest to the incident and analyzed the themes within each article; the article's tone (positive, neutral or negative); the time of the report relative to incident events and any differences between the regional and national papers. This analysis indicates that oil spills are reported and perceived as inherently negative incidents. However, along with coordinating an effective spill response, fast, factual and frequent media releases and increased effect in media liaison in areas of response with high public intrinsic value such as oiled wildlife response can significantly influence tone of media coverage and likely overall public perception.

Using sea water for cleaning oil from seabird feathers

Summary During an oil spill, marine wildlife, particularly birds, are at risk of external contamination, affecting insulation, waterproofing and consequently survival. Decontamination of oiled wildlife usually involves a succession of washes and rinses with warm, freshwater and detergent. However, accessibility of large quantities of freshwater needed for cleaning oiled wildlife can be limited. To assess the efficacy of sea water as an alternative, we used 80 seabird feathers, 40 saturated with heavy fuel oil and 40 unoiled feathers as controls, then washed and rinsed them using either freshwater or sea water, or a combination of both. Cleanliness and water repellency were assessed visually, and a barbule amalgamation index (BAI) was calculated to evaluate feather microstructure. Particulate residue was assessed using scanning electron microscopy. Results indicate that for oiled feathers, a sea water wash/rinse produced clean, low BAI/unclumped feathers with minimal particulate residue. Sea water cleaning trials should now be undertaken on live birds to understand links with sea water use and waterproofing. The method described has world‐wide application for oiled wildlife response activities and could be readily modified for the cleaning of other taxa such as mammals.

Washing oiled marine birds in New Zealand—do we have a detergent that can be used?

An efficacious oiled wildlife response requires quick action to remove external contamination of birds’ plumage in order to minimise ingestion of the oil and reinstitute waterproofing and thermoregulatory abilities, with the ultimate goals of increasing likelihood of release and maximising survival. The accessibility of the preferred detergent used in washing wildlife, Dawn® (Procter & Gamble), is limited for isolated nations such as New Zealand and its continuous availability in an extended oil spill response is a concern. This study investigates eight detergents manufactured in either New Zealand or Australia that are easily accessible, and compares their effectiveness at removing oil contaminants from feathers with Dawn®. Results indicate that none of the locally manufactured detergents was as effective as Dawn®. Availability and effectiveness of detergents for oil spill response are important for New Zealand's oil spill strategy and for rehabilitation of oil-affected marine birds throughout New Zealand.

Regional oil wildlife response capability in northwest Australia—a collaborative approach by oil and gas operators and agencies

In January 2012, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Authority (NOPSEMA) took over the environmental assessment of environmental plans (EP) and oil spill contingency plans (OSCP) in Australia's Commonwealth waters. The requirement to demonstrate capability highlighted several areas of improvement to provide an effective oiled wildlife response (OWLR). An OWL working group was established by several operators with the initial agreement to engage the Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre (AMOSC) as the response agency. The working group of operators has now established an OWLR Plan that was developed in collaboration with AMOSC and the Department of Parks and Wildlife and has provided an industry and government agency coordinated approach to OWLR for the first time.