Abstract
FOH - the Norwegian Marine Pollution Research and Monitoring Programme - has determined in its
long-term programme for the 1980-1983 period, that its major objective is to investigate the effects of oil
and oil-components on life in the sea. One of the prime ways of realizing this objective is carrying out
inter-disciplinary field experiments (Sendstad, 1982).
In the period 25 July -1 August 1982, a comprehensive oil spill experiment was executed on Haltenbanken
under the auspices of FOH. The experiment was also largely supported by grants from the same institution,
and embodied the following sub-projects:
1. Drift and spread of oil
2. Microbiological degradation and associated ecological effects
3. Ecological studies of the effects on fish, zooplankton, fish eggs and larva
4. Practice with equipment and command functions
5. Management and coordination of the experiment
This publication is based on the report from sub-project 1, ‘Drift and Spread of Oil', which was IKU’s - the
Continental Shelf Institute’s - main responsibility during the experiment. It focuses on the behaviour of oil
spilled at sea, preceded by an environmental data collecting phase and completed by a numerical modelling
phase.
A more extensive presentation of the applied methodology and results is given in three appendices (A, B
and C) of this publication.
As the successful execution of the project ‘Drift and Spread of Oil1 largely depended on a good planning
and well organised field work, these activities became an important part of IKU’s total responsibility as
well. The experience gained through managing an experiment of this size is consequently given considerable
attention in this publication.
The results from the other sub-projects are issued in individual reports. In addition, FOH is preparing a
report which presents a summary of the results of the various sub-projects.
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