HI, TO EVERY BODY, i want a detailed information about ''OIL SPILLS''?

Question

I MEAN ITS DEFINITION,ITS HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE,DANGEROUS EFFECTS,MAJOR STORIES RELATING TO THIS TOPIC ETC

Answer 1

http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/

Answer 2

What’s an oil spill?

Oil spills happen when people make mistakes or are careless and cause an oil tanker to leak oil into the ocean. There are a few more ways an oil spill can occur. Equipment breaking down may cause an oil spill. If the equipment breaks down, the tanker may get stuck on shallow land. When they start to drive the tanker again, they can put a hole in the tanker causing it to leak oil.

When countries are at war, one country may decide to dump gallons of oil into the other country’s oceans.

Terrorists may cause an oil spill because they will dump oil into a country’s ocean. Many terrorists will do this because they are trying to get the country’s attention, or they are trying to make a point to a country.

Illegal dumpers are people that will dump crude oil into the oceans because they do not want to spend money on decomposing their waste oil. Because they won’t spend money on breaking up the oil (decomposing it) they will dump oil into the oceans, which is illegal.

Natural disasters (like hurricanes) may cause an oil spill, too. If a hurricane was a couple of miles away, the winds from the hurricane could cause the oil tanker to flip over, pouring oil out.

What affects do oil spills have on animals?

Birds die from oil spills if their feathers are covered in oil. The bird will then be poisoned because it will try to clean itself. Animals may die because they get hypothermia, causing their body temperature to be really low. They may die from really low body temperature. Oil may also cause the death of an animal by entering the animal’s lungs or liver. The animal will then be poisoned by the oil. Oil also can kill an animal by blinding it. The animal will not be able to see and be aware of their predators. If they are not aware of other animals, they may be eaten.

Visit the website below to watch an amazing video on how millions of penguins were injured in an oil spill! This website is one you need to visit! http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/animals/newsid_1620000/1620001.stm


Oil spills sometimes are the reason for animals becoming endangered. This means that a certain type of animal is getting so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct.

Sea Birds

Seabirds are strongly affected by oil spills. A seabird may get covered in the oil. The thick black oil is too heavy for the birds to fly, so they attempt to clean themselves. The bird then eats the oil to clean its feathers and poisons itself. If workers have found sea birds that are not dead because of oil, they will take the birds to a cleaning center or captivity where they are kept in a facility because they can not live in the wild on their own. Animals that are in captivity because of an oil spill will be cleaned by professionals and volunteers. When a bird is in captivity, the oil will be flushed from its eyes, intestines, and feathers. The bird will be examined for any more injuries like broken bones, and it will take a medicine to prevent any more damage.

After the bird seems healthier, it will take a test on its abilities to float in the water and keep water away from its body. As soon as the bird passes its test, it will soon be let out into the wild.

Sea Otters

Sea otters are affected by oil in many ways. The otters’ bodies may get covered in oil, which causes build up in the otters’ air bubbles. These air bubbles are located in their fur and help them survive the cold oceans. They act like a covering for their body and help the otters to float. When oil builds up in the air bubbles, the otters may die of low body temperature. Many sea otters are being placed in captivity after an oil spill until the otters are cleaned and ready to live in the ocean again.

Killer Whales

Oil spills are one of the many ways killer whales have become endangered. The oil may be eaten or enter the whale’s blowhole. A blowhole is a hole to help them breath. Whales will rise up over the water to take a breath. If the blowhole is plugged with oil, the whale can not breathe. The main reason for whales dying because of a spill happens when they eat a fish that swam through the oil. If a fish swam through the oil, the whale will eat the oil along with the fish. Because the whale has eaten the oil, it will be poisoned, and it will die.

Small Organisms

Many people don’t realize all the animals in the ocean that oil spills affect. Plankton, larval fish, and bottom dwelling organisms are strongly affected. Even seaweed, clams, oysters, and mussels can be affected by oil spills. Only off- shore accidents can really cause the death of these small living creatures because this is mainly the home for these small organisms.

When hundreds of plankton die because of oil, that specie of animal may become extinct. Then, fish won’t be able to eat the plankton, so they will become extinct. A killer whale could then become extinct because it can’t eat the fish.

This is what happens when a specie from animal becomes extinct of a large oil spill. The oil spills can damage the entire food chain in the area.

What is the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill?

The Exxon Valdez incident was a major oil spill. This oil spill took place on March 23, 1989 at Prince William Sound in Alaska.

How did it happen?

The drivers of the Exxon Valdez noticed icebergs in their planned route. Instead of trying to weave through the icebergs, they decided to go in another direction. On the new route, the oil tanker hit shallow land. The shallow land was not a beach, it was called Bligh Reef. Because the tanker hit shallow land, it leaked 11 gallons of oil into the ocean.

Imagine an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The Exxon Valdez spilled about 125 Olympic-sized swimming pools. You also can think of it as 108 homes or 430 classrooms. 797 living rooms or 9 school gyms can explain about how much oil was spilled by the Exxon Valdez.

How did the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill affect the animals at Prince William Sound?

The Exxon Valdez affected many animals at Prince William Sound in Alaska. The spill greatly affected sea otters and sea birds. There were about 2,800 sea otters and 250,000 seabirds killed by the spill. Harbor seals, bald eagles, killer whales, and salmon were also greatly affected by the spill.

Many people complained about the large amount of sea otters dumped in crude oil because Prince William Sound was a tourist attraction. Many people came to Prince William Sound to visit the animals.

How many animals are recovering after ten years?

The table below shows all the animals that are not recovering, recovered, recovering, and that the recovering is unknown. It shows that only two species had recovered ten years after the spill. It also shows how many animals are still recovering ten years later.

Not Recovering Animals
Recovered Animals
Recovering Animals
Recovering is unknown

Common Loon
Bald eagle
Black oystercatcher
Cutthroat trout

Cormorant
River otter
Common murre
Dolly Varden

Harbor Seal

Marbled murrelett
Kittlitz murrelet

Harlequin Duck

Mussel
Rockfish

Killer Whale

Pacific Herring


Pigeon Quillemont

Pink Salmon




Sea otter




Sockeye Salmon



How long did it take to clean the up spill?

Because the spill impacted 1,300 miles, it took the Exxon Valdez Company four summers to clean up the spill. Some oil may still remain on the beaches. It took 10,000 workers, 1,000 boats, 100 airplanes, and the Navy, Army, and Air Force to clean up the spill. Exxon spent about $2.1 billion for the clean up.

The oil flow of the Exxon Valdez

Look at the diagram below. This diagram shows where the oil flowed and how far it flowed through Alaska. The map also tells you where the oil spill started in Alaska, which would be in Prince William Sound.

Day 7
90 miles

Day 11

140 miles

Day 15

180 miles

Day 19

250 miles

Day 38

280 miles

Day 56 Day 40
470 miles 350 miles
GREEN=The oil
STAR=Prince William Sound


What is a doubled hulled ship?



A Doubled Hulled Ship

A doubled-hulled ship is used for taking oil from one place to another. This boat contains two layers. One layer is where the oil is stored. Another layer surrounds it. If there were a crack in the boat, it wouldn’t have a large affect on the animals because not that much oil would spill as if it was a regular tanker. The crack would have to go through another layer in order to get to the oil.

Look at the diagram to the left, and it will give you an idea of what a doubled-hulled ship looks like. As you see, the boat has two layers. The middle layer holds all the oil. When there is a crack in the outer layer, it won’t cause any oil to spill out.



An Oil Tanker

If you look at the regular tanker to the right, you will see that there only has to be one crack in the tanker in order to leak. This shows that a doubled-hulled ship will not have such a large chance of causing a spill.

Why didn’t the Exxon Valdez have a double hull?

If the Exxon Valdez were a doubled-hulled ship, the chance of an oil spill would be 60% smaller. They wouldn’t have a great spill in the ocean.

If the chances of a spill would be much smaller, why didn’t the Exxon Valdez buy a doubled-hulled ship? A doubled-hulled ship costs $300,000,000 in America. A regular oil tanker costs about $200,000,000. The Exxon company decided to wait until the year 2015 in order to buy a doubled-hulled ship. The Law says that every tanker must be a double hull ship by 2015.

Were there any other major spills around the world?

There have been other major spills around the world. The table below gives you a few oil spills that have occurred around the world. As you see, these oil spills have occurred in many different places. None of them seem to be near each other. You can also see how of the largest spills occurred in the 90’s.The table shows you that many spills have spilled over 10,000 tons of oil.

What Year?
Where did it occur?
What tanker was it?
How much oil did it spill (in tons)?

1983
The Persian Gulf
Nowruz Oil Field
600,000

1983
South Africa
Castillo De Belluer
250,000

1988
The Monongahela River
Storage Tank
3,800,000

1993
Off The Shetland Islands
Braer
26,000,000

1996
Off SW Wales
Sea Empress
18,000,000

2001
Galapagos Islands
Jessica
240,000


There has recently been an oil spill on May 9, 2001 in the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Islands are located off the coast of Ecuador. The tanker, Jessica, tipped over pouring 240,000 gallons of oil into the ocean.

Workers used chemicals to break down the oil. If the oil is able to reach the bottom of the ocean, it might take at least two years to clean. Sea lions, pelican, seagulls, sea urchins, and seaweed have been affected by this spill. Workers used soap to clean the fur and feathers of hurt animals and milk for the animals’ heads because it wouldn’t hurt the animals’ eyes.

A couple months after the Jessica oil spill, scientists are studying different things about the spill. Some scientists are studying 650 different sites and seeing which sites were affected by the spill. They are trying to find out where the oil impacted and the animals that were and weren’t affected so they can learn more about the effects of oil spills.

How do they clean up the oil on the beaches or the water after a spill?

There are many ways to stop the spread of oil in the ocean. Workers can place a boom around the tanker that is spilling oil. Booms collect the oil off the water. A boom may be placed somewhere before an oil spill. They can be placed around an entrance to the ocean, like a stream. They also can be placed around a habitat with many animals living there. These booms will absorb any oil that flows around it.

The workers can also use skimmers. Skimmers are boats that can remove the oil off the water. Sorbents are sponges that can collect the oil. An airplane can fly over the water dropping chemicals into the ocean. The chemicals can break down the oil into the ocean.

They also can burn freshly spilled oil with fireproof booms to contain the oil. They might not decide to burn the oil because this method causes air pollution.

There are just a few ways to clean the oil off the beaches. Workers can use high or low pressure hoses to spray the oil that is on the beaches. Vacuum trucks may be driven on the beaches to vacuum up the oil. They can also simply use shovels or road equipment to collect all the oil off the beaches.

The method they use to clean the beaches or oceans depends on many things. They have to look at the weather, the type and amount of oil spilled, if people live in that area, what types of animals live in that area, and many more things. In some situations, they may not react to a spill. It may not be helpful or it would just cause even more damage to that habitat.

How do they clean animals after a spill?

Birds

There are many ways that animals are cleaned after an oil spill. When birds arrive at the cleaning center, the oil is flushed from the eyes and the intestines. They will also be examined for any broken bones, cuts, or any other injuries. Next, they will get a stomach-coating medicine to prevent any more oil from entering birds’ stomachs. Birds will then be warmed and placed in a quiet area.

Birds need to eat so they have some nutrition while they are recovering. Some animals might eat off a pan. Others may be forced to eat by a worker before they can feed themselves.

When a bird appears to be normal, it is allowed to swim. The bird will then trim and clean its own feathers to bring them back to their normal body structure. This will help the bird swim again. Next, the bird will have to pass a waterproof test. If the bird passes, it will slowly be introduced to the temperatures outside. In the test, the bird must show the ability to float and the ability to keep the water away from its body. Before they let the bird go, they must check it to make sure that its muscular structure is average for its species and the birds have no disease. Then the birds are released into the wild.

Sea Otters

When sea otters are taken to a cleaning facility, the heavy oiled otters will be washed first. Workers will wash the otters with warm water because they hope it will break down the oil. The warm water also can warm the otters up. The otters also will get medical treatment while they are being cleaned. The otters will then have to wait so they can dry.

After their fur is dry, they have to stay a few more days so the workers are sure of no diseases or broken bones.

Helping and Saving the Sea Life Today

Have you ever stopped to think what you use oil for? Every one uses oil a lot. The whole world uses nearly three billion gallons of oil every day. We all use it to fuel our cars, trucks, buses, and even to heat our homes. If you have touched a chain on a bicycle, you have touched some oil. The black stuff that appears on your fingers is an oil that makes the chains on your bike run smoothly. We use oil to make asphalt which can help us pave our roads. You can get examples of oil at a toy store, a hardware store, or a drugstore, because oil is made into plastics, which could be any of your toys or CD players. Oil is also used in medicines, ink, paints, and to create some electricity. We all can help stop oil spills happening in the oceans. If you use less oil, then less will have to be transported. We can use less oil by not using our cars when we can walk or ride a bike. We also can use less oil by paving the roads with cement. That way we are not using oil.

Think about how many lights you have in your house. Also think about all the electronics like computers or televisions. All of these things use electricity. If we all were to turn off lights, computers, or televisions when not in use, we wouldn’t be using as mush oil to create the electricity throughout the house.

There are many things being done to prevent more spills. The US Congress passed OPA (Ocean Pollution Act) 90 (in 1990). The OPA 90’s major laws are:

Emergency Response Plans- This law says that the owners of the tanker must have a detailed plan on what they will do if there was a spill. They must have this plan written before any spill.

Double Hulls- The law says that all ships in the U.S are required to have a double hull by 2015.

Liability- The law says that the owners of a boat that spills oil will have to pay $1,200 for every ton they spill.

Spill Fund-The law says that the government has money from companies that transport the oil so when a spill occurs, the government can pay for the clean up.

Navigation- The law says that the Coast Guard must know where the oil tankers can drive without an oil spill occurring.


As you see, there are many things being done to prevent oil spills. If everyone around the world decided to use less oil, we would lower the risk of a large spill. If there were a spill, we wouldn’t be dumping as much oil into the ocean, which would mean that there would be fewer animals killed or injured. You can also help decrease oil spills by using less electricity and gasoline, which are both made with oil.



Bibliography

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Barid, Stuart. "Oil Spills." http://www.iclei.org/efacts/oilspi2.gif Last Visited: January, 2002.

The Charles Darwin Foundation. "Technical Chronology of CDRS Actions." http://www.darwinfoundation.org/oilspill/oilspillmay9.html Last Visited: January, 2002.

Christine Paetzold. "Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Essay." /10867/ Last Visited: December, 2001.

Dorfman, Andrea. "A Sticky Situation." Time For Kids, February 2, 2001.

Fulton, Jim. "Big Us Oil Companies Have Found Cracks In The Tanker Regulations Inspired By The Exxon Valdez." http://www.commondreams.org/views/072000-105.htm Last Visited: January, 2002.

"Life in the Ocean." Science Horizons. United States: Silver Burdett Ginn Inc, 1993.

National Oceanic and Atmosphic Administration. "What’s the Story on Oil Spills?" http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/kids/spills.html Last Visted: November, 2001.

Office of Emergency and Remedial Response. "Rescuing Wildlife." http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/rescue.htm Last Visited: January, 2002.

Office of Response and Restoration. "Spill Containment Methods." http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi/exercise/contain.html Last Visited: January, 2002.

Oil Spill Intelligence Report. "Oil- Spill Related Fact Summaries" http://www.cutter.com/osir/osirfact.htm#majprov Last Visited: January, 2002.

Stewart, Anne. "World Oil Pollution: Causes, Prevention and Clean- Up." http://oceanlink.island.net/oceanmatters/oil%20pollution.html Last Visited: January, 2002.

"What’s being done to prevent another spill?" http://www.oilspill.state.ak.us/ Last Visited: December, 2001.




FATE & EFFECTS



Effects of Marine Oil Spills
Oil spills can have a serious economic impact on coastal activities and on those who exploit the resources of the sea. In most cases such damage is temporary and is caused primarily by the physical properties of oil creating nuisance and hazardous conditions. The impact on marine life is compounded by toxicity and tainting effects resulting from the chemical composition of oil, as well as by the diversity and variability of biological systems and their sensitivity to oil pollution.

Impact of oil on coastal activities




The effects of a particular oil spill depend upon many factors, not least the properties of the oil.

Contamination of coastal amenity areas is a common feature of many spills leading to public disquiet and interference with recreational activities such as bathing, boating, angling and diving. Hotel and restaurant owners, and others who gain their livelihood from the tourist trade can also be affected. The disturbance to coastal areas and to recreational pursuits from a single spill is comparatively short-lived and any effect on tourism is largely a question of restoring public confidence once clean-up is completed.

Industries that rely on a clean supply of seawater for their normal operations can be adversely affected by oil spills. If substantial quantities of floating or sub-surface oil are drawn through intakes, contamination of the condenser tubes may result, requiring a reduction in output or total shutdown whilst cleaning is carried out.

Biological effects of oil

Simply, the effects of oil on marine life, are caused by either the physical nature of the oil (physical contamination and smothering) or by its chemical components (toxic effects and accumulation leading to tainting). Marine life may also be affected by clean-up operations or indirectly through physical damage to the habitats in which plants and animals live.

The main threat posed to living resources by the persistent residues of spilled oils and water-in-oil emulsions ("mousse") is one of physical smothering. The animals and plants most at risk are those that could come into contact with a contaminated sea surface. Marine mammals and reptiles; birds that feed by diving or form flocks on the sea; marine life on shorelines; and animals and plants in mariculture facilities.

The most toxic components in oil tend to be those lost rapidly through evaporation when oil is spilt. Because of this, lethal concentrations of toxic components leading to large scale mortalities of marine life are relatively rare, localised and short-lived. Sub-lethal effects that impair the ability of individual marine organisms to reproduce, grow, feed or perform other functions can be caused by prolonged exposure to a concentration of oil or oil components far lower than will cause death. Sedentary animals in shallow waters such as oysters, mussels and clams that routinely filter large volumes of seawater to extract food are especially likely to accumulate oil components. Whilst these components may not cause any immediate harm, their presence may render such animals unpalatable if they are consumed by man, due to the presence of an oily taste or smell. This is a temporary problem since the components causing the taint are lost (depurated) when normal conditions are restored.

The ability of plants and animals to survive contamination by oil varies. The effects of an oil spill on a population or habitat must be viewed in relation to the stresses caused by other pollutants or by any exploitation of the resource. In view of the natural variability of animal and plant populations, it is usually extremely difficult to assess the effects of an oil spill and to determine when a habitat has recovered to its pre-spill state. In recognition of this problem detailed pre-spill studies are sometimes undertaken to define the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of a habitat and the pattern of natural variability. A more fruitful approach is to identify which specific resources of value might be affected by an oil spill and to restrict the study to meeting defined and realistic aims, related to such resources.

Impact of oil on specific marine habitats




The following summarises the impact that oil spills can have on selected marine habitats. Within each habitat a wide range of environmental conditions prevail and often there is no clear division between one habitat and another.

Plankton is a term applied to floating plants and animals carried passively by water currents in the upper layers of the sea. Their sensitivity to oil pollution has been demonstrated experimentally. In the open sea, the rapid dilution of naturally dispersed oil and its soluble components, as well as the high natural mortality and patchy, irregular distribution of plankton, make significant effects unlikely.

In coastal areas some marine mammals and reptiles, such as turtles, may be particularly vulnerable to adverse effects from oil contamination because of their need to surface to breathe and to leave the water to breed. Adult fish living in nearshore waters and juveniles in shallow water nursery grounds may be at greater risk to exposure from dispersed or dissolved oil.

The risk of surface oil slicks affecting the sea bed in offshore waters is minimal. However, restrictions on the use of dispersants may be necessary near spawning grounds or in some sheltered, nearshore waters where the dilution capacity is poor.

The impact of oil on shorelines may be particularly great where large areas of rocks, sand and mud are uncovered at low tide. The amenity value of beaches and rocky shores may require the use of rapid and effective clean-up techniques, which may not be compatible with the survival of plants and animals.

Marsh vegetation shows greater sensitivity to fresh light crude or light refined products whilst weathered oils cause relatively little damage. Oiling of the lower portion of plants and their root systems can be lethal whereas even a severe coating on leaves may be of little consequence especially if it occurs outside the growing season. In tropical regions, mangrove forests are widely distributed and replace salt marshes on sheltered coasts and in estuaries. Mangrove trees have complex breathing roots above the surface of the organically rich and oxygen-depleted muds in which they live. Oil may block the openings of the air breathing roots of mangroves or interfere with the trees' salt balance, causing leaves to drop and the trees to die. The root systems can be damaged by fresh oil entering nearby animal burrows and the effect may persist for some time inhibiting recolonisation by mangrove seedlings. Protection of wetlands, by responding to an oil spill at sea, should be a high priority since physical removal of oil from a marsh or from within a mangrove forest is extremely difficult.

Living coral grows on the calcified remains of dead coral colonies which form overhangs, crevices and other irregularities inhabited by a rich variety of fish and other animals. If the living coral is destroyed the reef itself may be subject to wave erosion. The effects of oil on corals and their associated fauna are largely determined by the proportion of toxic components, the duration of oil exposure as well as the degree of other stresses. The waters over most reefs are shallow and turbulent, and few clean-up techniques can be recommended.

Birds which congregate in large numbers on the sea or shorelines to breed, feed or moult are particularly vulnerable to oil pollution. Although oil ingested by birds during preening may be lethal, the most common cause of death is from drowning, starvation and loss of body heat following damage to the plumage by oil.

Impact of oil on fisheries and mariculture

An oil spill can directly damage the boats and gear used for catching or cultivating marine species. Floating equipment and fixed traps extending above the sea surface are more likely to become contaminated by floating oil whereas submerged nets, pots, lines and bottom trawls are usually well protected, provided they are not lifted through an oily sea surface. Experience from major spills has shown that the possibility of long-term effects on wild fish stocks is remote because the normal over-production of eggs provides a reservoir to compensate for any localised losses.

Cultivated stocks are more at risk from an oil spill: natural avoidance mechanisms may be prevented in the case of captive species, and the oiling of cultivation equipment may provide a source for prolonged input of oil components and contamination of the organisms. The use of dispersants very close to mariculture facilities is ill-advised since tainting by the chemical or by the dispersed oil droplets may result.

An oil spill can cause loss of market confidence since the public may be unwilling to purchase marine products from the region irrespective of whether the seafood is actually tainted. Bans on the fishing and harvesting of marine products may be imposed following a spill, both to maintain market confidence and to protect fishing gear and catches from contamination.

(Further information is available in our Technical Information Paper on Fisheries (PDF 374 Kb))

Contingency planning
Because of the difficult decisions that will be required during an oil spill in order to mitigate damage and to resolve conflicts of interest, much can be done at the contingency planning stage to identify sensitive areas and to determine priorities for protection.

Points to remember
Persistent oils and mousse may seriously affect the visual appeal and use of coastal amenity areas; fresh crude and light refined products may constitute a fire and explosion hazard.
Oil spills can interfere with the normal working of power stations and desalination plants that require a continuous supply of clean seawater and with the safe operation of coastal industries and ports.
The effects on marine life are caused by the physical nature of the oil (physical contamination and smothering) and by its chemical composition (toxic effects and tainting).
In the context of marine ecology, the health of populations and associated plants and animals (communities) and the integrity of their habitats are more important than the status of any individual of a species.
The time taken for oil-damaged populations of plants and animals to recover is highly variable: the extent to which the biological recovery of a habitat can be accelerated is severely limited.
An oil spill can contaminate fishing equipment and mariculture facilities and cause loss of market confidence in marine products; stocks of adult fish are rarely, if ever, affected.
Marine life as well as natural and man-made structures can be damaged by clean-up techniques, such as the use of heavy equipment and high pressure hosing.
Following an assessment of the likely impact of an oil spill on each habitat or activity, attention should be given at the contingency planning stage to identifying areas to be protected, their order of priority and the techniques to be used.



Oil Spills Pollute Indefinitely and Invisibly, Study Says
John Pickrell
for National Geographic News

November 22, 2002
The Prestige oil tanker, carrying 20 million gallons (76 million liters) of fuel oil, sank off the northern coast of Spain earlier this week, releasing at least 800,000 gallons (3 million liters) of oil into the waters of an extremely rich fishing region.

A report published earlier this month shows that in sensitive near-shore environments, the effects of an oil spill can be seen even decades later.


The findings come from a study of the aftermath of an accident that occurred in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, on a foggy morning in September 1969. A Boston-bound barge entering the Cape Cod Canal ran aground on rocks, spilling 175,000 gallons (700,000 liters) of diesel fuel into the bay.


The Prestige sank in waters that are more than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) deep, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) off shore. Still, so far, more than 150 miles (241 kilometers) of beaches and coves have been fouled.

Evidence from the Buzzards Bay disaster suggests the effects of oil spills could be indefinite. Thirty years after the Massachusetts catastrophe, significant oil residues remain in local salt marsh sediments, according to researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

"It is clear from this study that oil spills can have a long-term impact on a coastal environment," said Christopher Reddy, a marine chemist and lead author of the study.

"Even after all these years, concentrations of some compounds [in at least one Buzzards Bay site] are similar to those observed immediately after the spill, and reflect the persistent nature of...oil in coastal salt marsh sediments," he said.

The findings are reported in the November 15 edition of the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Silent Fall

Parts of Buzzards Bay were heavily contaminated by the brown, viscous oil. Fish, worms, crabs, mollusks, and other animals perished in great numbers, along with oil-smothered marsh grasses. Residents of the nearby town West Falmouth, referred to the following months as the "silent fall," said Reddy, referring to the absence of the usually noisy grasshoppers, waterfowl, and other animals normally in the area.

The incident was not large by oil spill standards—the famed 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska unleashed close to 11 million gallons (40 million liters) of oil into the environment. However, the close proximity of the Woods Hole research center meant the West Falmouth site has been studied extensively.

the rest of them is at http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/1122_021122_OilSpill_2.html
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/1122_021122_OilSpill_2.html

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