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Port Bonython Oil Spill
The Port Bonython oil spill occurred on 30 August 1992, when the fuel tank of the tanker ''Era'' was pierced by the bow of the tugboat ''Turmoil'' during berthing operations in upper Spencer Gulf, South Australia.AMSA: Australian Maritime Safety Authority > Era''Australian Maritime Safety Authority'', Government of Australia, Australia. Accessed 2014-02-07. Wind and swell were high and 296 tonnes of bunker fuel were released into Spencer Gulf. The incident resulted in 500 oiled birds and damage to 15 km of mangrove and seagrass habitat south-west of Port Pirie. Spill 30 August The spill occurred at 10.52am, as the ''Era ''was berthing at the Port Bonython wharf in rough seas. The vessel had arrived to load oil for the Kwinana refinery. The ''Era'' was chartered by BP and the tugboat involved, ''Turmoil'', was property of the Adelaide Steamship Company.Pearce, Wade "Chemicals attacking 2km slick - Oil spill threat to Gulf animals" ''The Advertiser'', South Australia (1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oil Spill
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land. Oil spills may be due to releases of crude oil from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs and wells, as well as spills of refined petroleum products (such as gasoline, diesel) and their by-products, heavier fuels used by large ships such as bunker fuel, or the spill of any oily refuse or waste oil. Oil spills penetrate into the structure of the plumage of birds and the fur of mammals, reducing its insulating ability, and making them more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations and much less buoyant in the water. Cleanup and recovery from an oil spill is difficult and depends upon many factors, including the type of oil spilled, the temperature of the water (affec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Containment Boom
A containment boom is a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill. Booms are used to reduce the possibility of polluting shorelines and other resources, and to help make recovery easier. Booms help to concentrate oil in thicker surface layers so that skimmers, vacuums, or other collection methods can be used more effectively. They come in many shapes and sizes, with various levels of effectiveness in different types of water conditions. Often the first containment method to be used and the last equipment to be removed from the site of an oil spill, they are "the most commonly used and most environmentally acceptable response technique to clean up oil spills in the United States." Booms used in oil spills can be seen as they rest on the surface of the water, but can have between 45 and 120 cm (18 to 48 inches) of material that hangs beneath the surface. They are effective in calm water, but as wave height increases oil or other contaminants can easily wash ove ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Herons
The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus'' are referred to as bitterns, and, together with the zigzag heron, or zigzag bittern, in the monotypic genus ''Zebrilus'', form a monophyletic group within the Ardeidae. Egrets do not form a biologically distinct group from herons, and tend to be named differently because they are mainly white or have decorative plumes in breeding plumage. Herons, by evolutionary adaptation, have long beaks. The classification of the individual heron/egret species is fraught with difficulty, and no clear consensus exists about the correct placement of many species into either of the two major genera, '' Ardea'' and '' Egretta''. Similarly, the relationships of the genera in the family are not completely resolved. However, one species formerly considered ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grebes
Grebes () are aquatic diving birds in the order Podicipediformes . Grebes are widely distributed freshwater birds, with some species also found in marine habitats during migration and winter. Some flightless species exist as well, most notably in stable lakes. The order contains a single family, the Podicipedidae, which includes 22 species in six extant genera. Although, superficially, they resemble other diving birds such as loons and coots, they are most closely related to flamingos, as supported by morphological, molecular and paleontological data. Many species are monogamous and are known for their courtship displays, with the pair performing synchronized dances across the water's surface. The birds build floating vegetative nests where they lay several eggs. About a third of the world's grebes are listed at various levels of conservation concerns—the biggest threats including habitat loss, the introduction of invasive predatory fish and human poaching. As such, three sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cormorant
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the IOC adopted a consensus taxonomy of seven genera. The great cormorant (''Phalacrocorax carbo'') and the common shag (''Gulosus aristotelis'') are the only two species of the family commonly encountered in Britain and Ireland and "cormorant" and "shag" appellations have been later assigned to different species in the family somewhat haphazardly. Cormorants and shags are medium-to-large birds, with body weight in the range of and wing span of . The majority of species have dark feathers. The bill is long, thin and hooked. Their feet have webbing between all four toes. All species are fish-eaters, catching the prey by diving from the surface. They are excellent divers, and under water they propel themselves with their feet with help from their wings; some cormorant species have been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australian Pelican
The Australian pelican (''Pelecanus conspicillatus'') is a large waterbird in the family Pelecanidae, widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea, also in Fiji, parts of Indonesia and as a vagrant in New Zealand. It is a predominantly white bird with black wings and a pink bill. It has been recorded as having the longest bill of any living bird. It mainly eats fish, but will also consume birds and scavenge for scraps if the opportunity arises. Taxonomy The Australian pelican was first described by Dutch naturalist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1824. Its specific epithet is derived from the Latin verb conspicere, meaning 'to behold', and refers to the 'spectacled' appearance created by its conspicuous eye markings. Description The Australian pelican is medium-sized by pelican standards, with a wingspan of . Weight can range from , although most of these pelicans weigh between .''CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses'' by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lonsdale, South Australia
Lonsdale is an industrial suburb south of Adelaide, South Australia, within the City of Onkaparinga. Lonsdale was farmed from shortly after European settlement until the 1950s, when the South Australian Housing Trust acquired much of the land for industrial use. Mobil's Port Stanvac Refinery and Chrysler's engine foundry were followed by many other manufacturing and service industries. Subsequent suburban development of surrounding areas has driven demand for a wide range of service-oriented businesses in the area. Port Stanvac Refinery and the Mitsubishi (formerly Chrysler) engine plant closed in 2004, with both sites remaining unused as of 2007. The South Australian Government announced plans to build a seawater desalination plant at the site in 2007, to provide fresh water for Adelaide. The Adelaide Desalination Plant opened in 2013. Transport Lonsdale is served by Lonsdale railway station. Lonsdale has SouthLink's largest southern bus depot. History Lonsdale was settle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RSPCA
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity operating in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. The RSPCA is funded primarily by voluntary donations. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest and largest animal welfare organisation in the world and is one of the largest charities in the UK. The organisation also does international outreach work across Europe, Africa and Asia. The charity's work has inspired the creation of similar groups in other jurisdictions, starting with the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (founded in 1836), and including the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1839), the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1840), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1866), the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1882), the Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1959) and various groups whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Preening
Preening is a found in birds that involves the use of the beak to position feathers, interlock feather that have become separated, clean plumage, and keep ectoparasites in check. Feathers contribute significantly to a bird's insulation, waterproofing and aerodynamic flight, and so are vital to its survival. Because of this, birds spend considerable time each day maintaining their feathers, primarily through preening. Several actions make up preening behaviour. Birds fluff up and shake their feathers, which helps to "rezip" feather barbules that have become unhooked. Using their beaks, they gather preen oil from a gland at the base of their tail and distribute this oil through their feathers. They draw each contour feather through their bill, nibbling it from base to tip. Over time, some elements of preening have evolved to have secondary functions. Ritualised preening has become a part of some courtship displays, for example. It is also a displacement activity that can occur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is an Australian statutory authority responsible for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping fleet and management of Australia's international maritime obligations. The authority has jurisdiction over Australia's exclusive economic zone which covers an area of . AMSA maintains Australia's shipping registries: the generalAMSARegister a vessel/ref> and the international shipping registers.AMSAAustralian international shipping register/ref> AMSA was established in 1990 under the ''Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990'' and governed by the ''Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997''. AMSA is an agency within the Department of Infrastructure and Transport. Directors are appointed by the minister. The international treaties which AMSA administers include the ''Navigation Act 2012'' and the ''Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983''. Organised sea rescue in Australia was w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avicennia Marina
''Avicennia marina'', commonly known as grey mangrove or white mangrove, is a species of mangrove tree classified in the plant family Acanthaceae (formerly in the Verbenaceae or Avicenniaceae). As with other mangroves, it occurs in the intertidal zones of estuarine areas. Description Grey mangroves grow as a shrub or tree to a height of , or up to in tropical regions. The habit is a gnarled arrangement of multiple branches. It has smooth light-grey bark made up of thin, stiff, brittle flakes. This may be whitish, a characteristic described in the common name. The leaves are thick, long, a bright, glossy green on the upper surface, and silvery-white, or grey, with very small matted hairs on the surface below. As with other ''Avicennia'' species, it has aerial roots (pneumatophores); these grow to a height of about , and a diameter of . These allow the plant to absorb oxygen, which is deficient in its habitat. These roots also anchor the plant during the frequent inundation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mount Remarkable, South Australia
Melrose is the oldest town in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. The town was once named "Mount Remarkable". At the 2016 Australian census, Melrose had a population of 347. The town is known for its proximity to Mount Remarkable and the surrounding National Park, its caravan park and historical sites including Jacka's brewery and Melrose Courthouse. History Journalist Rodney Cockburn, in his popular book ''What's in a Name'' asserts that consensus has not yet been reached about the origins of Melrose's name. He gives the explanation that its surveyor named the town after George Melrose, of Rosebank, Mount Pleasant, who assisted him when he was ill. Another explanation suggests a land owner named Alexander Campbell settled in the area in 1844 with his family and named the region after his hometown, Melrose, in Scotland. Historian Geoff Manning found that the town was located on a property claimed by the Mount Remarkable Mining Company and in the 1850s subdivided it into 250 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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