Oil Spills at Sea: A World Crisis

The recent oil spills in the San Francisco Bay and in South Korea draw attention to the already exhausted problem of ocean pollution. Oil has a particularly damaging effect on marine life in the affected areas. A vast number of marine birds, fishes, and mammals, already facing dwindling numbers due to over fishing and preditation are now being killed by the damaging after affects of oil in their ocean habitat. Part of the reason why oil spills are so detrimental to the ocean environment is due to the fact that "most of the components of oil are insoluble in water and float on the surface" (Castro & Huber, 2007, p. 408). The floating oil slicks appear as a glistening rainbow on the surface and as dark black sludge on the surrounding shoreline.

The oil is especially damaging to marine birds and mammals, whose fur or feathers becomes coated in the thick grease, stripping them of the ability to insulate themselves from the cold coastal waters. Oil also robs the birds of their ability to fly, leaving many stuck on land to slowly starve to death. Further illness and death in marine birds and mammals come from the ingestion of oil from grooming or poisoned prey. Although it is too soon to know the exact number of animals killed by the oil spills in the San Francisco Bay and South Korea, estimated numbers for the Exxon-Valdez oil spill were "between 100,000 and 300,000 seabirds and 3,500 to 5,000 sea otters" (Castro & Huber, 2007, p. 409).

Organisms beneath the waters surface are also subject to the damaging affects of oil spills. Clams, mussels, and oysters ingest the oil making them toxic for human and animal consumption. Fishes ingest the oil through their gills or by toxic prey. Though this may not initially kill them, many loose their ability to reproduce or cause a high rate of birth defects in their offspring ("Oil Spills," 2007). These issues are only a small number of problems that arise from oil spills into the ocean environment. These spills can have devastating affects on the human population as well. Oil spills that wipe out the marine life populace in heavy fishing routes can cause a massive loss in revenue to fisheries, and lead to large lay-offs of fishermen and others connected to the fishing industry. Contaminated beaches restrict tourism also causing a noticeable loss in revenue. Strict measures and precautions have been put in place to help reduce the risk of oil spills, however the recent spills have shown that there is significant room for improvement.

References:

Castro, P. & Huber, M.E. (2007). Marine biology (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Oil Spills- Effects on the Environment. (2007). Retrieved Dec. 8, 2007, from http://chennaionline.com/science/Environment/oilspills.asp.