The effects of oil-spill removers (‘detergents’) on the gastropod Nucella lapillus on a rocky shore and in the laboratory

The effects of oil-spill removers (‘detergents’) on a population of the dogwhelk Nucella lapillus have been studied at Porthleven in South Cornwall, where heavy oil pollution occurred following the ‘Torrey Canyon’ incident in March 1967. Nucella is one of the shore animals which are most resistant to ‘detergent’ treatment, but at Porthleven the species was wiped out in the harbour and the majority of animals were killed on the reef nearby.