Rocky shore monitoring in Milford Haven

Abstract

Oil-related industrial developments in Milford Haven began in 1960. Over the next 13 years four refineries, one terminal and one power station were opened. With the onset of tanker movement came the inevitable oil spills. Ecological studies of the rocky shores began in 1958 and continued until 1982. This paper deals with the most recent studies, carried out in 1982. Results show that biological changes have occurred on some rocky shores, mainly in limpet, barnacle, gastropod and seaweed populations. Changes tend to be shore-specific and are either interpreted as natural or tentatively linked to oil industry activity.

Apart from localised changes, Milford Haven continues to support apparently healthy rocky shore communities. There are several factors which have helped to prevent the deterioration of the shores, such as tidal flushing, active port management and strict water authority effluent quality standards. In addition, the rocky shores are comparatively resilient, and Milford Haven has never been subjected to an extremely severe oil spill.

Sublittoral benthic studies revealed that the communities in certain areas may have been subjected to mild pollution stress. To date, damage in Milford Haven has been very limited, but strict controls must be maintained in the future to ensure that conditions do not deteriorate further.