Oiled-guillemot-EcoQO - Implementation Document. North Sea Pilot Project on Ecological Quality Objectives, Issue 4. Seabirds, EcoQO element (f)

Abstract

The Oiled-Guillemot EcoQO describes the proportion of oiled Common Guillemots Uria aalge among those found dead or dying on beaches within the OSPAR area. As a result of chronic marine oil pollution, many thousands of seabirds wash ashore on beaches every year. Systematic beached bird surveys (BBS) provide an insight into species composition and oil rates (% of birds oiled of all birds found dead) and these surveys have been conducted since the early 1960s to study temporal and spatial trends in oil-related mortality in most countries bordering the North Sea. Spatial patterns in Common Guillemot oil rates reflect different levels of chronic marine oil pollution around the North Sea, whereas temporal trends in oil rates are indicative for changes in these levels over time. Common Guillemots have been selected because they are highly vulnerable to oil pollution, and are sufficiently abundant and widespread that sample sizes (number of corpses checked) each winter and in all participating countries should be large enough for statistical analysis. Oil rates are species- and area-specific, but also vary seasonally and can even be age-specific (annual natural mortality of juvenile Guillemots is proportionally higher than in adults). The use of scavenged or otherwise incomplete corpses (`remains') found on beaches may bias the results. For reasons of consistency, participants are therefore asked to systematically search for Guillemots between November and April, to identify the birds they find, to check the corpses for missing parts, to age the birds according to standardised ageing techniques, and to carefully check for oil in the feathers.
The Oiled-Guillemot EcoQO is not only meant to monitor current patterns in oil rates, but also to check if set targets are actually reached. In the most polluted parts of the North Sea, currently over 50% of the Guillemots found on beaches are oiled. Even although this means a considerable improvement in comparison with the 1960s, 1970s and even 1980s, such levels are considered unacceptable. Law enforcement, perhaps in combination with new measures to minimise chronic oil pollution at sea, should lead to further reductions, so that:

The average proportion of oiled Common Guillemots in all winter months (November to April) should be 10% or less of the total found dead or dying in each of 15 areas of the North Sea over a period of at least 5 years.

This Implementation Document describes the type of information collected as part of the Oiled-Guillemot EcoQO. Annual reports will be compiled based on data submitted by particants working in 15 subregions around the North Sea. National or regional co-ordinators will collect these data through volunteer networks (as in BBS schemes currently operating), by providing adequate instructions to those volunteers (field manuals). They will be responsible for ensuring that surveys take place, for receiving, checking and summarising data, and for sending their data by June to the International Co-ordinator for inclusion in an annual report.

Full text

OILED-GUILLEMOT-EcoQO
    
IMPLEMENTATION DOCUMENT
PROPORTION OF OILED COMMON GUILLEMOTS AMONG THOSE FOUND DEAD
OR DYING ON BEACHES
C.J. CAMPHUYSEN
2005
ROYAL NETHERLANDS INSTITUTE FOR SEA RESEARCH, TEXEL



ABSTRACT
The Oiled-Guillemot EcoQO describes the proportion of oiled Common Guillemots Uria aalge among those
found dead or dying on beaches within the OSPAR area. As a result of chronic marine oil pollution, many
thousands of seabirds wash ashore on beaches every year. Systematic beached bird surveys (BBS)
provide an insight into species composition and oil rates (% of birds oiled of all birds found dead) and these
surveys have been conducted since the early 1960s to study temporal and spatial trends in oil-related
mortality in most countries bordering the North Sea. Spatial patterns in Common Guillemot oil rates reflect
different levels of chronic marine oil pollution around the North Sea, whereas temporal trends in oil rates
are indicative for changes in these levels over time. Common Guillemots have been selected because they
are highly vulnerable to oil pollution, and are sufficiently abundant and widespread that sample sizes
(number of corpses checked) each winter and in all participating countries should be large enough for
statistical analysis. Oil rates are species- and area-specific, but also vary seasonally and can even be age-
specific (annual natural mortality of juvenile Guillemots is proportionally higher than in adults). The use of
scavenged or otherwise incomplete corpses (‘remains’) found on beaches may bias the results. For
reasons of consistency, participants are therefore asked to systematically search for Guillemots between
November and April, to identify the birds they find, to check the corpses for missing parts, to age the birds
according to standardised ageing techniques, and to carefully check for oil in the feathers.
The Oiled-Guillemot EcoQO is not only meant to monitor current patterns in oil rates, but also to
check if set targets are actually reached. In the most polluted parts of the North Sea, currently over 50% of
the Guillemots found on beaches are oiled. Even although this means a considerable improvement in
comparison with the 1960s, 1970s and even 1980s, such levels are considered unacceptable. Law
enforcement, perhaps in combination with new measures to minimise chronic oil pollution at sea, should
lead to further reductions, so that:
The average proportion of oiled Common Guillemots in all winter months (November to April)
should be 10% or less of the total found dead or dying in each of 15 areas of the North Sea over a
period of at least 5 years.
This Implementation Document describes the type of information collected as part of the Oiled-Guillemot
EcoQO. Annual reports will be compiled based on data submitted by particants working in 15 subregions
around the North Sea. National or regional co-ordinators will collect these data through volunteer networks
(as in BBS schemes currently operating), by providing adequate instructions to those volunteers (field
manuals). They will be responsible for ensuring that surveys take place, for receiving, checking and
summarising data, and for sending their data by June to the International Co-ordinator for inclusion in an
annual report.
The Oiled Guillemot EcoQO project was commissioned by the North Sea
Directorate, Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, Rijswijk,
The Netherlands
This report can be cited as follows:
Camphuysen C.J. 2005. Oiled-guillemot-EcoQO - Implementation Document. North Sea Pilot Project on
Ecological Quality Objectives, Issue 4. Seabirds, EcoQO element (f). NIOZ Report, Royal Netherlands
Institute for Sea Research, Texel.

Oiled Guillemot EcoQO 1

INTRODUCTION
As a result of (chronic) marine oil pollution, many thousands of seabirds wash ashore on
the beach every year. The Oiled-Guillemot EcoQO provides a description of the
proportion of oiled Common Guillemots Uria aalge among those found dead on beaches
within the OSPAR area. Systematic beached bird surveys (BBS) provide insight in
species composition and oil rates (% of birds oiled of all birds found dead) and have been
conducted since the early 1960s to study temporal and spatial trends in oil-related
mortality in most countries bordering the North Sea. Spatial patterns in Common
Guillemot oil rates reflect different levels of chronic marine oil pollution around the North
Sea, whereas temporal trends in oil rates are indicative for changes in these levels over
time. Common Guillemots have been selected because they are highly vulnerable to oil
pollution, and are sufficiently abundant and widespread that sample sizes (number of
corpses checked) each winter and in all participating countries should be large enough
for statistical analysis. Oil rates are species- and area-specific, but also vary seasonally
and can even be age-specific (annual natural mortality of juvenile Guillemots is
proportionally higher than in adults). The use of scavenged or otherwise incomplete
corpses (‘remains’) found on beaches may bias the results. For reasons of consistency,
participants are therefore asked to systematically search for Guillemots between
November and April, to identify the birds they find, to check the corpses for missing parts,
to age the birds according to standardised ageing techniques, and to carefully check for
oil in the feathers.
The Oiled-Guillemot EcoQO is not only meant to monitor current patterns in oil
rates, but also to check if set targets are actually reached. In the most polluted parts of
the North Sea, currently over 50% of the Guillemots found on beaches are oiled. Even
although this means a considerable improvement in comparison with the 1960s, 1970s
and even 1980s, such levels are considered unacceptable. Law enforcement, perhaps in
combination with new measures to minimise chronic oil pollution at sea, should lead to
further reductions, so that:
The average proportion of oiled common guillemots in all winter months
(November to April) should be 10% or less of the total found dead or dying in each
of 15 areas of the North Sea over a period of at least 5 years.
This Implementation Document provides a description of the type of material collected as
part of the Oiled-Guillemot EcoQO. Annual reports will be compiled based on material
submitted by participants working in 15 subregions around the North Sea. National or
regional co-ordinators will collect these data through volunteer networks (just as in BBS
schemes currently operating), by providing adequate instructions to these volunteers
(field manuals), they will be responsible for ensuring that surveys take place, for
receiving, checking and summarising data, and for sending their data by June each year
to the International Co-ordinator for inclusion in an annual report.
This Implementation Document provides a practical manual of the "Oiled-Guillemot–
EcoQO" for regional or national co-ordinators. For background information, including a
summary of recent data, technical issues regarding oil rates in stranded seabirds as well
as an overview the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships
and recent amendments meant to reduce the scale and impact of chronic oil pollution
worldwide (MARPOL 1973/78), see the earlier document on the Oiled Guillemot EcoQO

2 Implementation Document

(Camphuysen 2004). For financial implications and for estimates of national and
international budgets, the same report has to be consulted.
Annex 1 of the previous document (Camphuysen 2004) was a provisional manual
for volunteer participants, to enable them to identify and age Common Guillemots as well
as to instruct how them how presence of oil on stranded Guillemots should be stated.
This manual is included within this document, but enlarged and improved. Volunteers
working beaches will have to be provided with clear and short instructions that can be
deduced from this manual, in the language that is most appropriate for them. No attempt
has been made to include a field manual in this report, but any material required to
compose such a document is available on request with the author.
What to do on the beach?
[collecting base data]
The necessary data can be derived from standard beached bird surveys, given that the
field workers may need special instructions so that they know how to handle Guillemots
for the Oiled Guillemot EcoQO. Otherwise, fieldworkers may go out especially to search
for stranded birds and enlarge the sample of checked, beached Common Guillemots.
Basic questions for the fieldworkers are:
o What species? Common Guillemot or not
o What age? Juvenile, adult or unknown
o What remains? Complete corpse suitable for checking oil or just remains
o Is there any oil in the feathers? Presence absence indication, or a more precise quantification
Fieldworkers record the location they worked, the distance searched (km), the date, their
name and contact address, the conditions of the survey, and the numbers of birds found
as in an ordinary beached bird survey, basically according to local or national guidelines.
For Common Guillemots the above questions should be asked and the answers logged.
Identification and ageing
We assume the fieldworkers are capable to identify a Common Guillemot and separate
these from any other auks. To age the bird, fieldworkers should be instructed to check
the pattern of the tips of the greater underwing coverts: clear white tips = first year birds,
grey tips = older birds (termed ‘adult’ for convenience). In case of doubt (e.g. silvery tips
in summer plumage individuals), don’t record the age but log the individual as “age
unknown”.

Visible inspection of white tips on the
greater wing coverts in a stranded
Common Guillemot (clearly present in
the illustrated case, indicating that this
is a juvenile bird). Photograph C.J.
Camphuysen.

Oiled Guillemot EcoQO 3

Check if the corpse is intact
Fieldworkers should have clear instructions as what to classify as a complete corpse
(entirely intact, or just basically scavenged with all major parts are available for
inspection) or as ‘just remains’ (e.g. wings with sternum, or badly damaged corpse where
substantial parts are missing). It is generally a matter of common sense to judge what
corpses are sufficiently intact to be part of the main pool: complete, aged carcasses of
Common Guillemots.
Corpses need be complete for a valid inspection. Scavengers may have entered the corpse or even have
torn it apart (left), but the corpse may still be considered "complete". Only when vital parts are missing
(right) should the corpse be considered "incomplete" (in the illustrated case: feet, some skeleton remains,
sternum and wings, head and neck torn inside out by scavenging gulls at sea). Photographs C.J.
Camphuysen
Checking for oil
All parts of the body should be checked for oil. Note that small amounts may be present
around the tail, on the flanks or on the wings on otherwise, superficially clean carcasses.
Blood stains, certainly in partly scavenged specimens, should not be confused with
mineral oil contamination. For the EcoQO it is essential to know if a bird is oiled or not
(need-to-know data). The amount of oil present on a corpse of a bird is interesting
information, but not essential (nice-to-know data). Follow these guidelines, when
possible, if information on the amount of oil is to be obtained:
Each side of the body is regarded as
30%, each wing area as 10% ( 100%).
Don’t overdo the scores, but simplify
scores as follows by rounding:
• 1% - a few specks of oil
• 5% - small oiled area
• 10% - moderate oiled area
• 25% - about one quarter oiled
• 50% - about half of corpse oiled
• 75% - nearly all of the corpse oiled
• 100% - completely covered with oil
Record the presence of oil (yes, no or unknown) and if there is any oil, do indicate the percentage covered
of the corpse according to the following scheme:

4 Implementation Document

Type of oil
When the Oiled-Guillemot EcoQO is fully established, the type of oil needs be
established from a representative sample of birds. This Implementation Document does
not provide the guidelines for that action point, simply because the possibilities to fund
this part of the monitoring programme have not been identified. Sampling oil is easy and
can be done by well-instructed volunteers during their walks on beaches, the chemical
analysis of oil samples is specialists’ work that need be done in high quality and
experienced laboratories. Sampling and analysis techniques have been proposed by
Camphuysen & Dahlmann (1995).
In the absence of sample taking, the identification of oil types is impossible, for
different oil types cannot be separated by eye (Timm & Dahlmann 1991; Dahlmann et al.
1994). In fact, to say whether a substance is ‘mineral oil’ or any other lipophilic substance
disrupting a bird’s plumage is not always possible. Therefore, in the absence of a
sampling programme, all substances damaging bird plumages will be included in the
census and notes made by observers and regional or national co-ordinators that may
shed light on the type of pollution encountered are welcomed.
Checklist
In short, the following data need be collected
• Site, distance, date, observer
• Subregion
• Species, age (check greater underwing coverts for white tips):
o White tips present (i.e. juvenile)
o White tips absent (i.e. ‘adult’)
• Completeness of corpses (more or less intact / just remains)
• Oiling
It will be hard to age birds that are completely covered with oil and sometimes the ageing
will be “forgotten” by field workers. To avoid losing material, and because recent oil rates
will have to be compared with data collected in historical times when ageing was not
common practice, the record form will accommodate such incomplete records, so that
every Guillemot found can be listed. It is advisable, however, to keep pointing at the
ageing characteristics that need be used, as a reminder, and as a guarantee that the
highest quality data is collected.
How survey data are collected exactly is obviously up to the regional or national
co-ordinator, but individual count results could look like on this example data sheet:

Oiled Guillemot EcoQO 5

Oiled Guillemot EcoQO record sheet
Subregion: # Date (dd/mm/yy): - - 20
Site:
Contributor:
Contact address:
Quality of count: poor / moderate / good Total effort km:
km
Complete birds
(May be scavenged
corpses, but all major
feather parts available
for inspection)
Adults
Juveniles Not aged Totals
Oiled n
Unoiled n
Total n
Oil rate %
%
%
%
Remains Adults Juveniles Not aged Totals
Oiled n
Unoiled n
Total n
All birds n 
Densities n/km /km
/km
/km
/km
Optional datasheet for Oiled-Guillemot EcoQO counts. Most cells ask for concrete data, the bottom rows
are meant to sum up all Guillemots recorded (no matter what condition and age, including the individuals
where oiling was uncertain). The ‘Quality of count” box is a subjective indicator of the conditions of a survey
and whether or not densities found are probably reliable of seriously biased as a result of poor conditions.
Avoid double counts
Stranded corpses should be recorded only once. Different BBS schemes have different
means of avoiding double counts. Some have instructed participants to remove the
corpses, others have given instructions to mark them as ‘being recorded’ by clipping the
primaries. It is important that clear instructions are given to field workers as how to avoid
double counts in this programme.
What subregions do we use?
All North Sea countries are invited to participate in the Oiled Guillemot EcoQO by
submitting data for any of the 15 subregions decribed below. Note that some subregions
cross regional or even national borders, so that your data may contribute to the outcome
of a given subregion rather than provide all the available material. Do not lump data that
have been collected in more than one subregion and do send even very small datasets,
for these may contribute to “the bigger picture” after all.

6 Implementation Document

Fifteen subregions for the Oiled Guillemot EcoQO.
1 Shetland Shetland Islands UK
2a Orkney Orkney Islands UK
2b North Scotland north coast of Scotland UK
3 East Scotland Duncansby Head to Berwick on Tweed UK
4 Northeast England Berwick on Tweed to Spurn Head UK
5 East England Spurn Head to North Foreland UK
6 Eastern Channel line between North Forland and Belgian French border to line between Cherbourg -
Portland UK, B. F
7 Western Channel line between Cherbourg and Portland to Land's End to Ouessant UK, F
8 Eastern Southern Bight mainland coast Belgian/French border to Texel B, NL
9 Southern German Bight North Sea coast Frisian Islands Texel to Elbe NL, FRG
10 Western Wadden Sea mainland and Wadden Sea coast Frisian Islands Texel to Elbe NL, FRG
11 Eastern Wadden Sea mainland coast and Wadden Sea coast Elbe to Esbjerg FRG, DK
12 Eastern German Bight North Sea coast Wadden Sea Islands Elbe to Fanø FRG, DK
13 Danish west coast mainland coast Esbjerg – Hanstholm DK
14 Skagerrak east of line between Hanstholm - Kristiansund, north of a line from Skagen - Gothenburg N, DK, S
15 SW Norway Kristiansund to Stadt N
51N
52N
53N
54N
55N
56N
57N
58N
59N
60N
61N
4W 2W 0 2E 4E 6E 8E 10E
Shetland
Orkney
SW
Norway
E Scotland
NE England
Skagerrak
E German
Bight
S German
Bight
E S
Bight
E
England
E Channel
W Channel
W Wadden
Sea
E Wadden
Sea
Danish
west coast
see Fig. 9
53N
54N
55N
6E 8E 10E
E German
Bight
S German
Bight
W Wadden Sea
E Wadden
Sea
53N
54N
55N
6E 8E 10E
E German
Bight
S German
Bight
W Wadden Sea
E Wadden
Sea

Fifteen subregions for the Oiled Guillemot EcoQO. The inset (Wadden Sea area) is enlarged in the right-
hand figure. The Orkney Islands (encircled in the left hand map) includes the Scottish north coast, to the
west of Duncansby Head.
How to collate the data regionally or nationally?
Because subregions may cross regional or even national borders, the easiest way of
contributing to the joint database that will be constructed for the Oiled Guillemot EcoQO
is by labelling each survey result with a date/subregion tag. It may be foreseen that,
certainly shortly after implementation of the EcoQO, not every participant is able to

Oiled Guillemot EcoQO 7

achieve full coverage (monthly samples of most of their study area between November to
April). Therefore, the smallest unit stored into the joint database will be subregion/month
data rather than subregion/winter data.
Queries from the database should produce clear and instant results on effort (km
searched per subregion per month), on total numbers of Common Guillemots found
(resulting in an overall density estimate), on total numbers of complete carcasses
(aged/oil checked) and on total numbers of remains encountered. A relational database
will we constructed in which all these data are tabulated, using a base-file and a data
(bird) file, help-tables to translate particular coding, and connecting links (unique values).
The maintenance of that database, including the split in separate tables is the job of the
international co-ordinator or database manager. National and regional co-ordinators are
requested to collate the data in a single table format, in excel or any other database or
spreadsheet software, using the following fields:
Tabulated results by regional or national co-ordinators for the Oiled Guillemot EcoQO. The headers are in
bold, options are provided for each field. A database contribution for a given subregion in a given month
may end up in a 27 line record (three options for age x three options for state of corpse x three options for
oiling), and where fields Subreg-Km are copied down for each line of data.
Subreg
Ctry Year Month Km Contrib Age State Oiling Number
[1-15] [Abbrev.]
[Value] [1-12] [value] [Abbrev.]
Adult Complete
Oiled [Value]
Juv Remains Unoiled
Unknown
Unknown Unknown
Example of tabulated results, reporting survey results in subregion 8 (i.e.
mainland coast Belgian/French border to
Texel
), in the Dutch part of the subregion (NL), in March 2006, by Royal NIOZ, covering 25 km which
resulted into a sample of 14 Common Guillemots, 10 of which were complete corpses that could be aged.
Subreg
Ctry Year Month Km Contrib Age State Oiling Number
8 NL 2006 3 25 NIOZ Adult Complete
Oiled 6
8 NL 2006 3 25 NIOZ Adult Complete
Unoiled 4
8 NL 2006 3 25 NIOZ Juvenile Remains Unknown
2
8 NL 2006 3 25 NIOZ Unknown
Remains Oiled 2
Contributed data should be exported as excel files and sent to the international co-
ordinator by e-mail.
What data are expected for the annual report?
Regional or national co-ordinators are requested to check, analyse and organise the data
collected and to forward the material in the fixed tabulated format shown earlier. We are
interested in densities of Guillemots encountered around the North Sea (all Guillemots
found dead), but mostly in accurate oil rates of birds that could be aged and that are
classified as ‘complete’ corpses.
All data should be accompanied by a short description of the circumstances that
characterise the period/area in which the material was collected. Wrecks or oil-incidents
are known to affect the oil rates in different ways. Regional and national co-ordinators are
therefore requested to keep a log on special events. Key issues are: were there any
remarkable spills, influxes of birds, unusual weather, or major wrecks of Guillemots that
may have biased the results one way or the other. The report should be a short text, with

8 Implementation Document

clear references to particular datasets, so that the reports can be linked to particular data
in the relational database.
If some material is considered low-quality data for whatever reason, an
accompanying text should make that very clear, again with clear reference to the data
produced.
The database will have an open end, meaning that any data that didn’t arrive in time for
the annual report can be stored later, for future analysis (and long-term trends). The
format is such that even small sets of data can be contributed and added; there is no
reason to wait for the season to be completed before the data is sent.
Contents of the annual report
The annual report will provide the international overview of trends in oil rates by listing
updates from each of the 15 subregions (spatial patterns), and while comparing these
with historical material to evaluate the temporal trends. Our basic expectation, based on
collected material (Camphuysen 2004) and some educated guesswork, and while
lumping the two age categories of Guillemots in the absence of the concrete data of age
composition, is a pattern as shown here:
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Shetland
Orkney
East Scotland
SW Norway
Eastern Wadden Sea
Northeast England
East England
Eastern German Bight
Western Wadden Sea
Skagerrak
Danish west coast
Southern German Bight
Eastern Southern Bight
Eastern Channel
Western Ch anne l
1 2 3 15 11 4 5 12 10 14 13 9 8 6 7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Shetland
Orkney
East Scotland
SW Norway
Eastern Wadden Sea
Northeast England
East England
Eastern German Bight
Western Wadden Sea
Skagerrak
Danish west coast
Southern German Bight
Eastern Southern Bight
Eastern Channel
Western Ch anne l
1 2 3 15 11 4 5 12 10 14 13 9 8 6 7

Expectation of current oil rates of Common Guillemots around the North Sea in 15 pre-defined subregions
based on recent data (Camphuysen 2004), and guesses (subregions 14 and 15). Oil rates below 10% are
expected in three out of 15 areas. Numbers refer to subregion numbers (Table 1).
The material in the annual report will be organised such that changes over time and
shifting spatial patterns are most visible. This could be achieved by mapping data, and/or
by the use of graphs or tables.
This update will however require an explanatory text, compiled from the reports
submitted with the data from regional or national co-ordinators, indicating why certain
values are particularly low or rather high and whether or not full coverage and adequate
samples sizes have been achieved in each subregion.

Oiled Guillemot EcoQO 9

Time table

The data will be collected between November and April, summaries of results should be
forwarded to the international co-ordinator before June of each year of monitoring, so that
an Annual Report can be drafted in July and published in August, well before the next
season’s start.
Overview of current monitoring
An overview of current monitoring of the Oiled-Guillemot-EcoQO by individual North Sea
Contracting Parties is provided in the below table. From well-established BBS monitoring
programmes in Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Orkney and Shetland, mostly
already including the systematic ageing of beached Common Guillemots, adequate data
may be expected for subregions 1, 2a, 8, 9, 10, and 11 even in the first year of
implementation. Further effort is required to establish similar monitoring programmes in
the remaining subregions, either by adjusting existing schemes (such as expanding the
mid-winter surveys in mainland UK to a sampling programme covering the entire winter,
or by expanding existing but more patchy and incomplete monitoring programmes in
France, Denmark, Sweden and Norway) or by slightly adjusting field methods for
existing BBS programmes.
Overview of current monitoring of Oiled Guillemot EcoQO (summarised from Camphuysen 2004)
Current monitoring Monitoring method Needs
Norway Some monitoring conducted
intermittently Variable Improve regularity and
establish BBS
Sweden Some monitoring conducted
intermittently Variable Improve regularity and
expand monitoring
Denmark Some monitoring conducted
intermittently Standard BBS Improve regularity and
expand monitoring
Germany Annual programme Standard BBS None
Netherlands Annual programme Standard BBS None
Belgium Annual programme Standard BBS None
France Some monitoring conducted
intermittently Variable Improve regularity and
expand monitoring
UK Annual mid-winter surveys
mainland UK, annual programme
Orkney & Shetland
Standard BBS Expand monitoring
mainland UK
Budget Oiled Guillemot-EcoQO
(from Camphuysen 2004)
An important assumption for the budget presented below is that budgeted costs include
only costs necessary for the successful completion of the project: an international
combination of data. Such (annual) costs include: overall international co-ordination and
an annual report (lead country only, estimated at c. € 13 250,= per annum) and national
expenses on top of the costs required to run a BBS and to organise the participating
volunteers (estimated at € 1500,= per annum for participating countries). The actual costs
of a national BBS varies per country and these are not budgeted here, for these are seen
as a national responsibility of countries represented at the North Sea Ministers
Conference; those that signed the Bergen Declaration
(1)

10 Implementation Document

Extra costs are involved when the monitoring programme will include systematic
oil sampling and the analysis of these samples as a study of the sources of oil. Costs
would than include materials for sampling, the distribution of sampling tools and the
central collection of the samples
(2)
. A central laboratory is the most cost-effective solution
for this task. Budgeted costs are based on estimates by the Bundesamt für Seeschiffart
und Hydrographie in Hamburg (Germany). It should be highlighted that the Oiled
Guillemot EcoQO could start even if a choice regarding the need for chemical analysis of
oil samples is postponed.
Co-ordination, lead country Days Rate (€) Subtotal Remarks
*Project co-ordination (work time) 10 750 7500 p.a.
*Production annual report 5 750 3750 p.a.
*Mailing, printing report,
expendables 1000 1000 p.a.
*Travel 1000 1000 p.a.
Subtotal 13250 p.a.
National co-ordination UK, N, DK, FRG, NL, B, F
*Running BBS p.m. National responsibility; costs
depend on present state of
volunteer network and travel
expenses
*EcoQO participation 2 750 1500 p.a. per country, as a
compensation for work needed
to implement the EcoQO on a
national level: data preparation
and steering of volunteers to
follow the protocols exactly
Chemical analysis of oil and
other substances
*technician full time 40000 BSH, Hamburg
*supervision of work and reporting 5 3750 BSH, Hamburg
43750
(1) Anonymous 2002. Bergen Declaration. Ministerial declaration Fifth International Conference on the Protection of
the North Sea, 20-21 March 2002, Bergen, Norway.
(2)
Camphuysen C.J. 2002. Oil rates in Common Guillemots. CSR Report, Project INTERNAT*NZM-DNZ, OSPAR Biodiversity
Committee, BDC 03/2/4, Annex 1, 22pp.
Frequently Asked Questions

If a full blown participation is not possible yet, should I start contributing with what data I
can accumulate over a season?
Please do. The Oiled Guillemot EcoQO is part of the first set of EcoQOs to be
implemented and will therefore be seen as a pilot project. Instead of waiting until all
participants are prepared, we aim at the snowball effect, with more and more participants
contributing when time passes by.
Are other birds included?
No. Beached bird surveys tend to be organised to census all stranded birds and
sometimes marine mammals. The Oiled Guillemot EcoQO is only for Guillemots. Since
sample size is the key issue in obtaining robust oil rates (25 as an absolute minimum,

Oiled Guillemot EcoQO 11

preferably considerably more corpses checked), even ‘unconnected samples’ taken,
outside regular BBS, may be of use and can be added to the database.


Is there a link with the Fulmar-litter-EcoQO?
The Fulmar-litter-EcoQO is currently short-listed for implementation. Collecting Northern
Fulmars is a routine that is most cost-effectively done on the same surveys where
Common Guillemots are checked. In addition, however, Fulmars need be collected,
temporarily stored and dissected.

Is systematic oil-sampling foreseen?
Yes, it is foreseen, but not immediately. For the moment the financial means to include oil-
sampling and chemical analysis of samples in the Oiled Guillemot EcoQO is not available.


References

Camphuysen C.J. 2004. North Sea pilot project on Ecological Quality Objectives, Issue 4. Seabirds,
EcoQO element F. Proportion of oiled Common Guillemots among those found dead or dying -
revised edition (June 2004). CSR Report 2004-012, Texel, 26pp.
Camphuysen C.J. & Dahlmann G. 1995. Guidelines on standard methodology for the use of (oiled)
beached birds as indicators of marine pollution. Ad Hoc working group on Monitoring, Oslo and
Paris Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution. MON 95/7, Agenda item 7, 13-17
November 1995, Copenhagen.
Dahlmann G., Timm D., Averbeck C., Camphuysen C.J. & Skov H. 1994. Oiled seabirds - Comparative
investigations on oiled seabirds and oiled beaches in the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany
(1990-1993). Mar. Poll. Bull. 28: 305-310.
Timm D. & Dahlmann G. 1991. Investigations into the source of non-mineral oils in the feathers of seabirds.
In: Camphuysen C.J. & J.A. van Franeker (eds). Oil pollution, Beached Bird Surveys and Policy:
towards a more effective approach to an old problem. Proc. Int. NZG/NSO workshop, 19 April
1991, Rijswijk, Sula 5 (special issue): 15-17.
Contact address:
C.J. Camphuysen, Royal NIOZ, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The
Netherlands, camphuys@nioz.nl, direct number + 31 222 369488

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CONTENTS
• Introduction 1
• What to do on the beach [collecting base data] 2
o Identification and ageing
o Check if the corpse is intact
o Checking for oil
o Type of oil
o Checklist
o Avoid double counts
• What subregions do we use 5
• How to collate the data regionally or nationally 6
• What data are expected for the annual report 7
• Contents of the annual report 8
• Time table 9
• Budget Oiled-Guillemot EcoQO 9
• FAQs 10
• References 11
• Contact address 11
P.O. BOX 59, 1790 AB DEN BURG, TEXEL
THE NETHERLANDS
TEL + 31 222 369300
FAX + 31 222 319674
ROYAL NETHERLANDS INSTITUTE FOR SEA RESEARCH, TEXEL