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Effects of oil on the feeding mechanism of the bowhead whale. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5836981
Research was designed to determine the effect of crude oil on the filtration efficiency of bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) baleen. An experiment apparatus was constructed with temperature-controlled, circulating sea water moving through a chamber containing mounted baleen plates. All circulating water of the apparatus flowed over and through the hair-fringed stratum of the baleen plates. Efficiency of filtration of living plankters was measured and compared for various kinds and levels of petroleum fouling. The filtering efficiency of the baleen plates decreased when the plates were fouled with Prudhoe Bay crude oil.
Research Organization:
Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (USA)
OSTI ID:
5836981
Report Number(s):
PB-86-168879/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English