Substantial information on the offshore distribution of seabirds exist
s for the North Sea and nearby areas. This information is extensive bu
t is not easily applicable to management problems, such as oil polluti
on incidents. A quantitative oil vulnerability index has been develope
d, based on four easily scored factors, to assess the vulnerability of
seabird species to surface pollution. The index has been applied to c
alculate area vulnerability scores for 15' latitude x 30' longitude re
ctangles in the North Sea by combining the species vulnerability score
s with information on seabird densities. Maps of vulnerable concentrat
ions of seabirds for each month of the year have been published with i
nterpretative text. These maps can be used as a management tool, for e
xample, in assessing potential risk or in the event of an oil pollutio
n incident.