Beaches, wetlands and weak aquatic ecosystems, oil spills caused by damaged tankers, oil pipelines, or offshore oil rigs often lead to immediate environmental damage. instant and long can take decades. The following are some of the noticeable points about the environmental consequences of oil spills:
Oil spill covers everything they touch and becomes an unexpected but lasting part of any ecosystem they appear. When the oil spills from a large oil spill to a beach, the oil layer will cover and cling to all the rocks and grains of sand. If oil flows through coastal marshes, mangroves or other wetlands, plants and grass will absorb the oil, which will harm these plants themselves and make this area no longer suitable. more suitable for the living of wild animals.
When the oil no longer floats on the surface of the sea and begins to submerge into the underwater environment, it can have similar effects on aquatic ecosystems, killing or poisoning small fish and aquatic species with contact. Intimate system in the global food chain.
Despite the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup efforts in 1989, a 2007 study conducted by the National Oceanic and Meteorological Agency (NOAA) showed that 26,000 gallons of oil were still stuck in the sand. along Alaska coast. Scientists also point out that according to the study, the excess oil only decreased by less than 4% per year.
Birds
Birds covered with oil are a common symbol of environmental consequences caused by oil spills. Some species of birds that live on the coast have been able to escape by flying elsewhere when they sense the danger in time, but seabirds swim and dive underwater to find food will be vulnerable to oil. covered by oil spill consequences. The oil spill also ruins the nests, causing serious long-term effects on all animals. For example, the offshore oil spill of BP Deepwater Horizon in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico, occurred at the exact mating and nesting season of many species of birds and marine life, and the long-term environmental consequences of this incident known for years. Oil spills can disrupt migration patterns by polluting areas where migratory birds tend to reach.
Even a very small amount of oil can cause a bird to die. By covering their feathers, oil not only makes them impossible to fly but also destroys the bird's natural waterproofing and thermal insulation, making them easy to lose body heat or overheating. When birds try to clean their feathers to restore their natural defenses, they often swallow the oil, which will seriously damage the internal organs and lead to death. The Exxon Valdez oil spill has led to the deaths of 250,000 to 500,000 species of seabirds, including those living on the coast and bald eagles.
Marine mammals
Oil spills often kill even marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, seals and sea otters. Oil can clog the whales of dolphins and dolphins, making them unable to breathe normally and disrupt their ability to communicate. Oil covers the fur of seals and otters, making them susceptible to hypothermia.
Even if marine animals escape from immediate effects, an oil spill can contaminate their food source. Marine mammals that eat fish and other contaminated foods will be poisoned by oil and die or encounter other implications.
Exxon Valdez oil spill killed thousands of sea otters, hundreds of seals, nearly 2 dozen killer whales and more than a dozen freshwater otters. In the years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred, scientists noted higher sea otter mortality rates for other species affected by spill and underdevelopment or damage. Great harm among additional species.
Fish
Oil spills often cause death for fish, shellfish and other aquatic organisms, especially if the fish eggs or larvae are contaminated with oil. Shrimp and lobster farming along the coast of Louisiana is one of the first consequences of BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Similarly, the Exxon Valdez oil spill ruined billions of salmon and herring eggs. Years later these fishing grounds still cannot recover.
Habitat and environment to nurture wild animals
The long-term consequences for animals and their habitat and nesting or reproduction areas are one of the most serious environmental consequences of the spill. Although these species spend most of their time in the water, for example, many sea turtles, they must go to the coast to lay their eggs. Sea turtles can be damaged by oil when oil spills into waters or waters where they spawn, their eggs will be damaged by oil and cannot grow normally, and newly hatched turtles can be smeared Oil-tight when they try to crawl towards the ocean through a flooded beach.
Finally, the severity of environmental damage caused by oil spills depends on many factors, including the amount of oil spilled, the type and weight of oil, the spill position, the marine animals in in that area, the time of the breeding cycle and seasonal migration, and even the weather in the sea during and after the oil spill.
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