La pollution des Baies de Morlaix et de Lannion par les hydrocarbures de l' “Amoco Cadiz”: Répartition sur les fonds et évolution

Abstract

Distribution of hydrocarbons from the “Amoco Cadiz” oil spill in sublittoral sediments, north of Brittany. The quantitative distribution of hydrocarbons in the sublittoral sediments, north of Brittany (France), was followed and recorded for the first year after the spill (March, 1978). Following preliminary observations in spring of 1978, 250 stations were sampled in August from the Bay of Lannion to Portsall at water depths down to 70 m. Subsequently, 40 stations were studied at three-month intervals. During the summer of 1978, the widest polluted sublittoral areas were localised in the Bays of Morlaix and Lannion down to depths of about 30 m and even deeper in some places. In these two bays, the distribution of hydrocarbons showed: (1) deposition near the coasts hit by the slicks, mostly after adsorption by fine sedimentary particles; (2) redistribution of particulate and adsorbed oil towards low hydrodynamic energy areas favourable to deposition of fine particles. In autumn and winter, the coarse sediments became progressively less polluted. Oil, often in significant quantities, remained or was reconcentrated in the fine sediments of the inner bay parts. Consequently, the hydrodynamic structure ot the area (waves, tidal currents) has played an important role in the deposition and redistribution of the hydrocarbons on sublittoral bottoms.