Waterbird deterrence at oil spills and other hazardous sites:Potential applications of a radar-activated on-demand deterrencesystem

摘要

Oil spills can have catastrophic effects on seabirds. Researchers have experimented with various methods of deterring birds from landing in or around oil spills and other hazards, but the effectiveness of these methods frequently declines over time, presumably because birds habituate to deterrent stimuli. New techniques that employ radar to activate deterrents only when birds are approaching a spill offer the potential to deter birds with greater and lasting efficacy. We summarize the findings of three recent studies of radar-activated bird deterrents at contaminated inland ponds and develop hypothetical scenarios for implementing such a system at marine oil spills. In open-water areas and inaccessible coastlines, boats may act as platforms for both radar and cannon deterrents. In coastal areas, networks of land-based radar and floating cannon platforms could be used. We discuss the importance of coupling knowledge on bird distributions and spill risk for effective planning and implementation of deterrents in oil spill response and then address some limitations of the radar-based system for oil spill responses. We conclude by considering the potential application of the technology for deterrence of birds at other hazardous sites such as wind farms and aquaculture facilities.