What Are the Dangers of Oil Spills in the Ocean?
When oil is spilled into the ocean it can devastate life under the water. Although oil tanker accidents are the most highly publicized causes of water pollution, there are many other ways that oil gets into the ocean, including air pollution (sources include the combustion of fossil fuels for power generation and transportation) and engine oil runoff from land. Large spills of heavy oils may do more immediate damage, but even a little bit of oil exposure can do long-term harm to sea life.
Seabirds and Sea Mammals
Seabirds and sea mammals are quite vulnerable to oil spills because they are the most likely of all sea life to run into oil floating on the water. Oil reduces the amount of insulation an animal can get from its fur or feathers, so seabirds and sea mammals often die of hypothermia. Birds that get a lot of oil on them also lose their buoyancy, causing them to have trouble flying and leading them to drown. Additionally, seabirds and sea mammals often end up ingesting oil when they try to clean themselves, which can kill them quickly or can cause them to become very ill (with lung, kidney and liver damage) and die slowly. They may also die or become ill by eating other species that have been contaminated by the oil.
Plankton
Plankton, classified as microscopic swimming or floating animals and plants, are also harmed by oil that floats on the water. According to the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited (ITOPF), laboratory studies have sufficiently demonstrated that oil spills cause damage or death to plankton. This has a widespread impact because plankton are near the bottom of the ocean food chain. They feed many fish, and the fish feed many larger sea creatures. The fish that eat the plankton also end up feeding humans and other non-marine animals. As a result, when plankton are affected, everyone else is affected as well.
Fish
Fish are also highly affected by oil spills. They may end up getting oil in their gills, eat plankton that have been damaged by oil, and their eggs and larvae may end up being harmed by the oil. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, adult fish that come into contact with oil may experience reduced growth, altered heart and breathing rates, enlarged livers, erosion to their fins and reproductive problems.
Plants
Oil spills may cause some species of plants to die off entirely, but other species may become more abundant to counter the damage that has been done. Even though oil may cause some species to die off and prevent some species from germinating, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that most sea vegetation appears to recover over time.
Habitat
A spill may appear to clear up after a bit of time, but some spills cause oil to remain in sediment for more than 30 years. Even if the immediate visible effects of an oil spill dissipate, a single spill leaves a strong and lasting impact on ocean creatures' habitat. It affects the entire food chain, which causes population structures to shift and species' diversity and abundance to change forever.
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