Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumMystery substance could kill 'many more' birds
Wildlife experts have warned many more birds could be affected by the waxy substance found on guillemots washed up on the south coast.
Hundreds of seabirds were found on beaches from Sussex to Cornwall on Thursday, many at Portland in Dorset.
Scientists are trying to establish the nature and source of the substance, which may be palm oil.
Several birds have died, but BBC wildlife presenter Chris Packham warned that could be the "tip of the iceberg".
"What's particularly frightening is that if you're picking up a hundred on the beach, there could be very many more which have died and been lost at sea," he said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21291294
xchrom
(108,903 posts)Mnemosyne
(21,363 posts)dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)This is the English Channel where Corexit couldn't be used anyway due to the shoreline type with limpets - can be used North Sea only pretty much. Aside from that Corexit contains no wax and can be used to de-wax - its a detergent.
The birds have got wax deposits on them.
Mnemosyne
(21,363 posts)dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)I meant the statement. There were a lot of fairy stories a couple of years back as to whether it was permitted for use here in the UK but in this case its incidental anyway.