Unique circumstances characterize shorebird migration. One is the long distances covered - 19,000 miles round-trip for the red knot. Also, instead of feeding frequently along the way, shorebirds make only a couple of stops at "staging areas." Their survival is dependent on having plenty of food available at the precise time they arrive.

For some species, a high concentration of the entire population arrives at a staging area at the same time. In late May, 80 percent of the red knots and 30 percent of sanderlings rely on the food resources of the Delaware Bay. Migratory shorebirds also probe the mudflats along coastal wetlands for the worms, insects and other invertebrates. Impounded wetlands in the state and federal wildlife areas of Delaware and New Jersey create shallow-water habitats rich in food.

Imagine the consequences of a major oil spill along the Delaware Bay shorelines in early May. More than 1,000 oil-laden tankers a year steam through the Delaware Bay. The lower bay is one of the world's largest lightering areas for oil transfer from ocean-going tankers to barges and pipelines. The upper bay, with 70 percent of the east coast supply of crude oil, is the second largest petrochemical port in the United States. Shorebirds have no alternative feeding site if this one is damaged.