Hmmm…well, just looking back at the big BP oil spilling the Gulf of Mexico, I know just exactly what could happen to our environment. The most affected part of the natural environment would most definitely be the Marine life. Oil slicks can yield much more devastating effects than we see in the news- the effects can be long lasting. During the Gulf of Mexico oil spill; an array of Natural and Marine environments were changing for the worst. Take for example Marine life in the Mexican Gulf. Coral died out, Fish and other Marine life had died out, and to top that off. Instead of banding together and working together...They turned against each other. So it was pretty much as long as they were safe they didn’t care about the environment. Oil spills can kill coral (which is by the way a major part of the eco-system for the under-water world) Seal pups are majorly affected as oil can destroy their insulating fur, and even taint algae with its toxic sludge which play a vital role in the water ecosystem. One of the main effects is that not only will the natural environment be scarred with oil, but the fact that it’ll take many years to recover from such an event. Oil spills can’t be cleaned up in just a day. This takes time. And within that time a lot can happen. The effects above were just a few of the many effects that can take place during an oil spill of any proportion.
Oil spill is a form of pollution where liquid petroleum hydrocarbon is released into the environment because of human activity. It has serious effects on marine life and the ecosystem it occurs in.
Oil spreads very quickly in waterways and the ocean with the help of wind and currents. It mixes with the water and becomes a sticky substance known as ‘mousse’ which clings to whatever it comes in contact with. Animals who come in contact with this are dangerously effected and some of these effects can lead to death. For example: birds can get hypothermia and drown as the oil weighs down their feathers, sea-animals can get poisoned, extremely sick & can also damage animals immune systems. This could also cause chain reactions through the food chain where poisoning occurs because an animal has ingested oil.
Just like plants that live on the land, marine plants need sun light, particularly for photosynthesis, in order to grow. The oil will affect these plants as it will limit the amount of sunlight coming through and possibly decrease the amount of plant life in the sea.
Areas close to the coast like the reef, swamps and Mangrove forests are also effected by oil spills. The oil can expose the organisms that live near the reef to toxic substances that are harmful to them. Swamps have calm waters so it would take years for it to be restored. Mangrove trees in a Mangrove forest would cease to grow if the oil coated its prop roots. This would be harmful as Mangrove trees take decades to replace.
Oil spill is the release of petroleum into the environment due to faulty human activity. It causes further pollution to our world and can affect the environment in a major way. A few exemplars that are affected by oil spill are our waters, coastlines and also our marine and wildlife around the globe. Our waters can be affected in several ways. Some in which, will take years to get rid of. In addition, our waters will then begin to pollute. When the oil is corrupted, it is at large to the environment. It gets into our water and causes a major risk to human and wildlife health. Since oil does not blend in with water, it floats on the surface and spreads out into a very thin layer, covering a huge part of our waters during a short period of time. The effect of oil spills are really seen along the coastline where there are birds and sea mammals smothered in grease. Harsh effects usually occur on the coastlines; since oil is thick, it sticks to anything and everything it touches. Eventually, this causes deaths and drowning to the animals situated in the areas of the coastlines. Oil spills throughout the coastline, also effect the sand, rocks, driftwood, saw grass, soil and right down to the very grain. This destroys the natural habitat once the oil has been washed ashore from the spill. The Marine and Wildlife have the most effect among oil spills. When oil floats on the surface of the water, marine life are poisoned once they rise to the top of the surface and sooner or later they would face the fact of death. Furthermore, there is a variety of ways that marine and wildlife will be contaminated. They could either be poisoned by ingestions, damage to the environment or they could come across direct contact with the oil.
When oil contaminates the ocean were not the only ones that are affected it also affects the animals that live in the water the animals die like whales the oil gets in there breathing hole and it’s hard for them to breath, the fish oil is heavy for them and it ways them down they won’t be able to get back up or look for food. Oil spills effects the eggs of a marine life like the turtles and the fishes both when the spill happens and later on as well. Another animal that’s affects by oil spills is birds because birds love fish and when they come down to the surface of the ocean they will get stuck and it will be hard for them to escape from predators, if birds get a lot of oil on them they might go under and drown. In 2000, several thousand penguins were affected by a fuel oil spill after the iron-ore carrier Treasure sank off South Africa. Many oil-soaked birds were cleaned and released.
Oil spills enters the oceans in many different ways such as leaks, some being the results of chronic and careless habits for oil products. About 706 million gallons of oil is wasted in the ocean every year and half of it coming from the lands drainage and the waste disposal such as motor oil. A reminder that comes from Routine Maintenance of the ships is nearly 20 percent, hydrocarbon particles from the onshore air pollution that’s about 13 percent and Natural seepage from the seafloor over 8 percent. Oil spills effects the onshore and offshore, offshore affects the animal in the water and onshore it covers rocks and the marine algae and marine invertebrates. The Exxon Valdez spills can cover about 1,300 miles of coastline and the initiating is massive cleanup efforts.
These are some of the spills that happen in the 1900s and how much oil was spills : • Persian Gulf - January 23, 1991 - up to 1,500,000 tonnes
• Gulf of Mexico - 2010 - approximately 574, 000 tonnes (August estimate)
• Gulf of Mexico - June 3, 1979 - 454,000 - 480,000 tonnes
• Trinidad and Tobago - July 19, 1979 - 287,000 tonnes
• Fergana Valley Uzbekistan - March 2, 1992 - 285,000 tonnes
Effects on water: Oil spills can be hazardous to our waters including everything living in it. The harsh chemicals can kill marine life and can cause our waters to become toxic. Marine life can be poisoned and have internal damage from swallowing oil. Oil spills can also affect the eggs of marine life. Fisheries were impacted years after the Exxon Valdez spill due to the destruction of herring and salmon eggs when the spill occurred. Even after the clean-up on the surface is finished, the oil that leaked into the ground can harm all marine life living on the seabed for decades such as burrowing animals like crabs.
There are detrimental long-term effects of an oil spill on humans. One example of this is with the native Inuit peoples near the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound in Alaska in 1989. With much of their ecosystem destroyed, the tribes were forced to rely on government assistance to continue their lives in the area.
An oil spill contaminates the water, coastline, marine life and plant life.
Oil spills affect water in many ways. When the oil is released into the water it does not blend in with it. The oil floats on top of the salt and fresh water. In a short time the oil spreads across the surface into a thin layer. This layer is called slick. It expands the oil until it is extremely thin as. It then thins even more. Also this layer is called Sheen and is usually less than 0.01 mm thick. The fish get affected by this oil spill because the oil laches on to the fish and ways them down and also hard for them to look for food. Another thing is it affects the birds to how? Because when birds are hungry what do they eat? Fish.
Effects on the coastline. The most harmful part of an oil spill is the harsh effects oil has on the coastline. Oil is thick and sticks to everything it touches. Every rock, piece of driftwood, saw grass, sand, soil, and tiny habitats are destroyed or affected by the thick oil that washes ashore after a spill. Oil spills affect the coastal habitat from the smallest shells up to the largest boulders.
Oil spilled by damaged tankers, pipelines or offshore oil rigs coats everything it touches and becomes an unwelcome but long-term part of every ecosystem in enters. An oil slick from a large oil spill reaches the beach, the oil coats and clings to every rock and grain of sand. If the oil washes into coastal marshes, mangrove forests or other wetlands, fibrous plants and grasses absorb the oil, which can damage the plants and makes the whole area unsuitable as wild habitat. When some of the oil eventually stops floating on the surface of the water and begins to sink into the marine environment, it can have the same kind of damaging effects on the fragile underwater ecosystems, killing or contaminating many fish and smaller organisms that are essential links in the global food chain.
An oil spills often take a deadly to on fish, shellfish and other marine life, particularly if large numbers of fish eggs or larvae exposed to the oil. The shrimp and oyster fisheries along the Louisiana coast were among the first casualties of the 2010 BP Deep-water Horizon offshore oil spill. Similarly, the Exxon Valdez oil spill destroyed billions of salmon and herring eggs. Those fisheries still have not recovered.
Well to begin with, oil spill which specifically mean oil which has been spilled or which has been dispersed away from its destinated area which can be caused by different reasons. Therefore oil spills have effects on the environment.
Firstly, oil spill has an effect on water. When water spils into the water or ocean, sea water, the water does not blend with the oil. Therefore the water floats on top of the sea water and it spreads out into a layer called a slick.
Secondly the oil spill also has an effect on the coastline. Once oil spills, and it touches anything, it will basically stick to this object. It has an harsh effect on the coastline. The birds and the wildlife animals are usually affected by oil spills. A lot of picture of oil spills are usually taken and it shows how oil covers our birds or animals which ends up killing them.
Finally, oil spills also has an effect on the marine life ant the wild life. A lot of sea creatures which swim and basically travel through the water are effected by the oil spills. A lot of the sea creatures swim through the water which has been contaminated by the oil spill. Therefore they then become poisoned and again causing our fish, sharks, and other sea creatures to be killed. Another example is when oil spills on a birds wing. When the oil sticks to the birds wings, this causes the bird to weigh down. If oil continues to stick on the birds wing, there is a possible chance of death. Oil spill has a huge impact on our environment. The lives of our wild and sea creatures are affected by the oil spill. We need to think of better alternatives of how to clean-up the oil spills.
if an oil spill was to occur the water will be effected in many ways especially because oil is insoluble so when it is released into the water it is very difficult for the oil to dissolve this causes the oil to float. Over time this oil begins to spread which creates a layer of oil across the surfaces of the water this layer is called a slick. Over a longer period of time the oil expands & becomes extremely thin this layer is called a sheen which is usually 0.01mm thick. The climate plays a big role in the movement and spilting of the the slick and sheen layers of oil and controls its direction, the waves and currents of the sea can wash the oil onto the shorelines which damage marine shoreline habitat. Because oil is very thick it sticks tightly onto anything it comes in contact with weather it be marine life, waste or any other component there fore marine life such as fish or basically all marine will be affected because they depend on the oxygen in water to breath so if their are oil spills that reach the water there gills may become clogged from the oil and they will eventually die. Also sealife that surface often will most likely swallow parts of the slick and sheen layers which can cause internal damage making the animal very ill or even dying. The most obvious effect on the environment due to oil spills would be contamination to soil which will effect fertillity, meaning we would be unable to vegetate affecting our agriculture
Oil spills are perhaps the most harmful side effect of the oil industry. Images of birds and fish coated in black goo provide a haunting reminder of the inherent dangers in transporting crude oil.
Oil spills have a number of effects on the environment and economy. On a basic level, oil will damage waterways, marine life and plants and animals on the land. An oil spill can also ruin the infrastructure and economy of a particular area with the long-term effects being felt for decades. Cleaning an oil spill is very expensive and the costs get spread to government agencies, non-profits and the oil transport company itself. Every time an oil spill occurs, the public loses faith in the oil companies' ability to control this dangerous but needed product.
Oil spills can damage the environment and wildlife. There are several ways oil spills can occur. Most often, spills occur while oil is being transported. Sometimes, a significant amount of oil is spilled into oceans while oil is in transit. Other times, small amounts of oil are spilled at refineries or into the ground. Oil spills affect water in a variety of ways. When oil is released into water, it does not blend with the water. Oil floats on the surface of salt and fresh water. Over a very short period of time, the oil spreads out into a very thin layer across the surface of the water.
Oil also affects animals…….. Oil spills of any size have devastating effects on birds. The International Bird Rescue Organization reports that millions of birds die each year because of oil leaked into the ecosystem. Regardless of whether the oil is runoff from streets and storm drains, is knocked off the deck of a sports boat or is spilled from the hull of a massive tanker, once a bird a comes in contact with oil it is very difficult for the bird to recover.
Oil spills are a form of pollution. Due to human activity, an oil spill is a release of liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment. Oil spills include releasing of crude oil from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs and wells also spills of refined petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel. When oil is spilled into the water, wind and currents assist with quickly spreading the oil across the ocean. When oil is mixed with water it becomes a sticky substance which is known as “mousse”. Oil spills effect the environment in different ways causing devastation to marine wildlife, oceans, coastlines even land wildlife.
The effect on the marine and coastal life is a result from digestion of oil, destruction of habitat and direct contact with oil. Marine mammals who ingest oil (either through eating other marine life that have been in contact with oil or from surfacing in the centre of an oil slick) are poisoned with a possibility of dying. Ingestion of oil also makes animals ill and impacts on the marine life’s ability to reproduce such as fish. Habitat destruction from oil spills is most visible on the coast. However the delicate balance in the reefs and shallow water habitats are affected by the oil spill.
Birds are heavily affected by oil spills. The feathers of birds are designed to repel water also allowing them to float on water. When an oil spill occur birds and sea birds are covered with oil causing them to get poisoned when they attempt to clean themselves. Oil also causes hypothermia, blindness and possibly endangerment as populations can deplete dangerously. Furthermore, when sea birds get covered with oil it becomes too heavy for them to fly.
Oil spills also have a major effect on water. When oil is released into the water, it floats on the surface of salt and fresh water. The oil on the surface can spread due to the weather, waves and currents, causing the oil to come ashore and damage marine shoreline habitats. However, oil has the ability to break apart and sink to the ocean floor, contaminating underwater habitats as well.
Oil spills have the most severe effects on the coastline. The thick oil destroyed or affects every habitat that is ashore, from the smallest shell to the largest boulders. Oil will basically stay on shore until weather and time break down the oil. The process of cleaning oil on the coastline is extremely long and painful. Oil spills cause visual pollution once on the shoreline as well as effecting wildlife, marine life, and many young marine mammals. The contamination of oil on the coastlines is dangerous to these living species.
Oil slicks do so much more damage than just the initial havoc we see on the news - the effects can be very long lasting. Since first publishing this article in 2007 and even though oil has become even more precious in a world now coming to terms with the fact peak oil is a reality rather than possibility, we've continued to see significant oil leaks and spills occurring on a fairly regular basis. The recent Deep-water Horizon BP oil leak disaster in the Gulf of Mexico well and truly eclipsed the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 and now has the dubious distinction of being one of the largest oil spills on record. Latest official estimates (August 2, 2010) state approximately 4.1 million barrels of oil contaminated the ocean. Effects of oil spills when oil is spilled or leaked into in waterways and the ocean, it spreads very quickly with the help of wind and currents. A single gallon of oil can create an oil slick up to a couple of acres in size! The BP oil slick had spread over 580 square miles in just three days. When oil starts mixing in water, it can change composition and becomes what's known as "mousse". This is a sticky substance that clings even more to whatever it comes in contact with. Many marine animals don't know to avoid a slick and some fish may even be attracted to it as it can resemble food. Some of the many effects on animals coming into contact with crude oil include: - Hypothermia and drowning of birds as the oil breaks down the insulating capabilities of feathers, makes them heavier and compromises flying ability - Hypothermia in some seal pups as the oil destroys insulating fur - if oil is ingested, it can either poison the animal outright, make them extremely sick or create a level of toxins in their system that then causes poisoning further up the food chain. Birds and other animals often ingest oil when trying to clean them. Shellfish and corals are particularly at risk in these scenarios as they cannot escape from an oil slick. There's really no aspect of a marine and coastal environment that is not in some way adversely affected by an oil spill. The closer the spill occurs to the shoreline, the more pronounced the damage will be due to coastal zones being home to more concentrated and diverse populations of marine, bird and animal life than far out to sea. World's biggest oil spills. Here are five of the biggest marine spills in history. Persian Gulf - January 23, 1991 - up to 1,500,000 tonnes Gulf of Mexico - 2010 - approximately 574, 000 tonnes (August estimate) Gulf of Mexico - June 3, 1979 - 454,000 - 480,000 tonnes Trinidad and Tobago - July 19, 1979 - 287,000 tonnes Fergana Valley Uzbekistan - March 2, 1992 - 285,000 tonnes
*Laugh* I see a lot of copying and pasting in here. How do Oil Spills effect the environment? Is this question correct? Anyway, oil spills affect the environment is many ways, of which I will not elaborate on. These are negative effects to be exact. The damage to marine life is the most obvious as toxic waste is scattered all around the sea causing marine life to die. Because much of the marine life is destroyed, the area affected by the oil spill will continue to be affected and organisms will soon disappear therefore the environment is now deserted and polluted. Families of fish and plants will suddenly be overwhelmed by the oil spills and will die therefore a great reduction in marine life numbers (not good for sushi companies). As much as I would like to say more, the other 14 comments has pretty much explained the effects on the environment and I do not want to outshine their comments so I leave it there.
15 comments:
Hmmm…well, just looking back at the big BP oil spilling the Gulf of Mexico, I know just exactly what could happen to our environment. The most affected part of the natural environment would most definitely be the Marine life. Oil slicks can yield much more devastating effects than we see in the news- the effects can be long lasting.
During the Gulf of Mexico oil spill; an array of Natural and Marine environments were changing for the worst. Take for example Marine life in the Mexican Gulf. Coral died out, Fish and other Marine life had died out, and to top that off. Instead of banding together and working together...They turned against each other. So it was pretty much as long as they were safe they didn’t care about the environment.
Oil spills can kill coral (which is by the way a major part of the eco-system for the under-water world)
Seal pups are majorly affected as oil can destroy their insulating fur, and even taint algae with its toxic sludge which play a vital role in the water ecosystem.
One of the main effects is that not only will the natural environment be scarred with oil, but the fact that it’ll take many years to recover from such an event. Oil spills can’t be cleaned up in just a day. This takes time. And within that time a lot can happen. The effects above were just a few of the many effects that can take place during an oil spill of any proportion.
Oil spill is a form of pollution where liquid petroleum hydrocarbon is released into the environment because of human activity. It has serious effects on marine life and the ecosystem it occurs in.
Oil spreads very quickly in waterways and the ocean with the help of wind and currents. It mixes with the water and becomes a sticky substance known as ‘mousse’ which clings to whatever it comes in contact with. Animals who come in contact with this are dangerously effected and some of these effects can lead to death. For example: birds can get hypothermia and drown as the oil weighs down their feathers, sea-animals can get poisoned, extremely sick & can also damage animals immune systems. This could also cause chain reactions through the food chain where poisoning occurs because an animal has ingested oil.
Just like plants that live on the land, marine plants need sun light, particularly for photosynthesis, in order to grow. The oil will affect these plants as it will limit the amount of sunlight coming through and possibly decrease the amount of plant life in the sea.
Areas close to the coast like the reef, swamps and Mangrove forests are also effected by oil spills. The oil can expose the organisms that live near the reef to toxic substances that are harmful to them. Swamps have calm waters so it would take years for it to be restored. Mangrove trees in a Mangrove forest would cease to grow if the oil coated its prop roots. This would be harmful as Mangrove trees take decades to replace.
Oil spill is the release of petroleum into the environment due to faulty human activity. It causes further pollution to our world and can affect the environment in a major way. A few exemplars that are affected by oil spill are our waters, coastlines and also our marine and wildlife around the globe.
Our waters can be affected in several ways. Some in which, will take years to get rid of. In addition, our waters will then begin to pollute. When the oil is corrupted, it is at large to the environment. It gets into our water and causes a major risk to human and wildlife health. Since oil does not blend in with water, it floats on the surface and spreads out into a very thin layer, covering a huge part of our waters during a short period of time.
The effect of oil spills are really seen along the coastline where there are birds and sea mammals smothered in grease. Harsh effects usually occur on the coastlines; since oil is thick, it sticks to anything and everything it touches. Eventually, this causes deaths and drowning to the animals situated in the areas of the coastlines. Oil spills throughout the coastline, also effect the sand, rocks, driftwood, saw grass, soil and right down to the very grain. This destroys the natural habitat once the oil has been washed ashore from the spill.
The Marine and Wildlife have the most effect among oil spills. When oil floats on the surface of the water, marine life are poisoned once they rise to the top of the surface and sooner or later they would face the fact of death. Furthermore, there is a variety of ways that marine and wildlife will be contaminated. They could either be poisoned by ingestions, damage to the environment or they could come across direct contact with the oil.
When oil contaminates the ocean were not the only ones that are affected it also affects the animals that live in the water the animals die like whales the oil gets in there breathing hole and it’s hard for them to breath, the fish oil is heavy for them and it ways them down they won’t be able to get back up or look for food. Oil spills effects the eggs of a marine life like the turtles and the fishes both when the spill happens and later on as well. Another animal that’s affects by oil spills is birds because birds love fish and when they come down to the surface of the ocean they will get stuck and it will be hard for them to escape from predators, if birds get a lot of oil on them they might go under and drown. In 2000, several thousand penguins were affected by a fuel oil spill after the iron-ore carrier Treasure sank off South Africa. Many oil-soaked birds were cleaned and released.
Oil spills enters the oceans in many different ways such as leaks, some being the results of chronic and careless habits for oil products. About 706 million gallons of oil is wasted in the ocean every year and half of it coming from the lands drainage and the waste disposal such as motor oil. A reminder that comes from Routine Maintenance of the ships is nearly 20 percent, hydrocarbon particles from the onshore air pollution that’s about 13 percent and Natural seepage from the seafloor over 8 percent. Oil spills effects the onshore and offshore, offshore affects the animal in the water and onshore it covers rocks and the marine algae and marine invertebrates. The Exxon Valdez spills can cover about 1,300 miles of coastline and the initiating is massive cleanup efforts.
These are some of the spills that happen in the 1900s and how much oil was spills :
• Persian Gulf - January 23, 1991 - up to 1,500,000 tonnes
• Gulf of Mexico - 2010 - approximately 574, 000 tonnes (August estimate)
• Gulf of Mexico - June 3, 1979 - 454,000 - 480,000 tonnes
• Trinidad and Tobago - July 19, 1979 - 287,000 tonnes
• Fergana Valley Uzbekistan - March 2, 1992 - 285,000 tonnes
Effects on water:
Oil spills can be hazardous to our waters including everything living in it. The harsh chemicals can kill marine life and can cause our waters to become toxic. Marine life can be poisoned and have internal damage from swallowing oil. Oil spills can also affect the eggs of marine life. Fisheries were impacted years after the Exxon Valdez spill due to the destruction of herring and salmon eggs when the spill occurred. Even after the clean-up on the surface is finished, the oil that leaked into the ground can harm all marine life living on the seabed for decades such as burrowing animals like crabs.
There are detrimental long-term effects of an oil spill on humans. One example of this is with the native Inuit peoples near the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound in Alaska in 1989. With much of their ecosystem destroyed, the tribes were forced to rely on government assistance to continue their lives in the area.
An oil spill contaminates the water, coastline, marine life and plant life.
Oil spills affect water in many ways. When the oil is released into the water it does not blend in with it. The oil floats on top of the salt and fresh water. In a short time the oil spreads across the surface into a thin layer. This layer is called slick. It expands the oil until it is extremely thin as. It then thins even more. Also this layer is called Sheen and is usually less than 0.01 mm thick. The fish get affected by this oil spill because the oil laches on to the fish and ways them down and also hard for them to look for food. Another thing is it affects the birds to how? Because when birds are hungry what do they eat? Fish.
Effects on the coastline. The most harmful part of an oil spill is the harsh effects oil has on the coastline. Oil is thick and sticks to everything it touches. Every rock, piece of driftwood, saw grass, sand, soil, and tiny habitats are destroyed or affected by the thick oil that washes ashore after a spill. Oil spills affect the coastal habitat from the smallest shells up to the largest boulders.
Oil spilled by damaged tankers, pipelines or offshore oil rigs coats everything it touches and becomes an unwelcome but long-term part of every ecosystem in enters. An oil slick from a large oil spill reaches the beach, the oil coats and clings to every rock and grain of sand. If the oil washes into coastal marshes, mangrove forests or other wetlands, fibrous plants and grasses absorb the oil, which can damage the plants and makes the whole area unsuitable as wild habitat. When some of the oil eventually stops floating on the surface of the water and begins to sink into the marine environment, it can have the same kind of damaging effects on the fragile underwater ecosystems, killing or contaminating many fish and smaller organisms that are essential links in the global food chain.
An oil spills often take a deadly to on fish, shellfish and other marine life, particularly if large numbers of fish eggs or larvae exposed to the oil. The shrimp and oyster fisheries along the Louisiana coast were among the first casualties of the 2010 BP Deep-water Horizon offshore oil spill. Similarly, the Exxon Valdez oil spill destroyed billions of salmon and herring eggs. Those fisheries still have not recovered.
TO BE CONTINUE.....
Well to begin with, oil spill which specifically mean oil which has been spilled or which has been dispersed away from its destinated area which can be caused by different reasons. Therefore oil spills have effects on the environment.
Firstly, oil spill has an effect on water. When water spils into the water or ocean, sea water, the water does not blend with the oil. Therefore the water floats on top of the sea water and it spreads out into a layer called a slick.
Secondly the oil spill also has an effect on the coastline. Once oil spills, and it touches anything, it will basically stick to this object. It has an harsh effect on the coastline. The birds and the wildlife animals are usually affected by oil spills. A lot of picture of oil spills are usually taken and it shows how oil covers our birds or animals which ends up killing them.
Finally, oil spills also has an effect on the marine life ant the wild life. A lot of sea creatures which swim and basically travel through the water are effected by the oil spills. A lot of the sea creatures swim through the water which has been contaminated by the oil spill. Therefore they then become poisoned and again causing our fish, sharks, and other sea creatures to be killed. Another example is when oil spills on a birds wing. When the oil sticks to the birds wings, this causes the bird to weigh down. If oil continues to stick on the birds wing, there is a possible chance of death.
Oil spill has a huge impact on our environment. The lives of our wild and sea creatures are affected by the oil spill. We need to think of better alternatives of how to clean-up the oil spills.
if an oil spill was to occur the water will be effected in many ways especially because oil is insoluble so when it is released into the water it is very difficult for the oil to dissolve this causes the oil to float. Over time this oil begins to spread which creates a layer of oil across the surfaces of the water this layer is called a slick. Over a longer period of time the oil expands & becomes extremely thin this layer is called a sheen which is usually 0.01mm thick. The climate plays a big role in the movement and spilting of the the slick and sheen layers of oil and controls its direction, the waves and currents of the sea can wash the oil onto the shorelines which damage marine shoreline habitat.
Because oil is very thick it sticks tightly onto anything it comes in contact with weather it be
marine life, waste or any other component there fore marine life such as fish or basically all marine will be affected because they depend on the oxygen in water to breath so if their are oil spills that reach the water there gills may become clogged from the oil and they will eventually die.
Also sealife that surface often will most likely swallow parts of the slick and sheen layers which can cause internal damage making the animal very ill or even dying.
The most obvious effect on the environment due to oil spills would be contamination to soil which will effect fertillity, meaning we would be unable to vegetate affecting our agriculture
Oil spills are perhaps the most harmful side effect of the oil industry. Images of birds and fish coated in black goo provide a haunting reminder of the inherent dangers in transporting crude oil.
Oil spills have a number of effects on the environment and economy. On a basic level, oil will damage waterways, marine life and plants and animals on the land. An oil spill can also ruin the infrastructure and economy of a particular area with the long-term effects being felt for decades. Cleaning an oil spill is very expensive and the costs get spread to government agencies, non-profits and the oil transport company itself. Every time an oil spill occurs, the public loses faith in the oil companies' ability to control this dangerous but needed product.
Oil spills can damage the environment and wildlife. There are several ways oil spills can occur. Most often, spills occur while oil is being transported. Sometimes, a significant amount of oil is spilled into oceans while oil is in transit. Other times, small amounts of oil are spilled at refineries or into the ground. Oil spills affect water in a variety of ways. When oil is released into water, it does not blend with the water. Oil floats on the surface of salt and fresh water. Over a very short period of time, the oil spreads out into a very thin layer across the surface of the water.
Oil also affects animals……..
Oil spills of any size have devastating effects on birds. The International Bird Rescue Organization reports that millions of birds die each year because of oil leaked into the ecosystem. Regardless of whether the oil is runoff from streets and storm drains, is knocked off the deck of a sports boat or is spilled from the hull of a massive tanker, once a bird a comes in contact with oil it is very difficult for the bird to recover.
Oil spills are a form of pollution. Due to human activity, an oil spill is a release of liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment. Oil spills include releasing of crude oil from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs and wells also spills of refined petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel. When oil is spilled into the water, wind and currents assist with quickly spreading the oil across the ocean. When oil is mixed with water it becomes a sticky substance which is known as “mousse”. Oil spills effect the environment in different ways causing devastation to marine wildlife, oceans, coastlines even land wildlife.
The effect on the marine and coastal life is a result from digestion of oil, destruction of habitat and direct contact with oil. Marine mammals who ingest oil (either through eating other marine life that have been in contact with oil or from surfacing in the centre of an oil slick) are poisoned with a possibility of dying. Ingestion of oil also makes animals ill and impacts on the marine life’s ability to reproduce such as fish. Habitat destruction from oil spills is most visible on the coast. However the delicate balance in the reefs and shallow water habitats are affected by the oil spill.
Birds are heavily affected by oil spills. The feathers of birds are designed to repel water also allowing them to float on water. When an oil spill occur birds and sea birds are covered with oil causing them to get poisoned when they attempt to clean themselves. Oil also causes hypothermia, blindness and possibly endangerment as populations can deplete dangerously. Furthermore, when sea birds get covered with oil it becomes too heavy for them to fly.
Oil spills also have a major effect on water. When oil is released into the water, it floats on the surface of salt and fresh water. The oil on the surface can spread due to the weather, waves and currents, causing the oil to come ashore and damage marine shoreline habitats. However, oil has the ability to break apart and sink to the ocean floor, contaminating underwater habitats as well.
Oil spills have the most severe effects on the coastline. The thick oil destroyed or affects every habitat that is ashore, from the smallest shell to the largest boulders. Oil will basically stay on shore until weather and time break down the oil. The process of cleaning oil on the coastline is extremely long and painful. Oil spills cause visual pollution once on the shoreline as well as effecting wildlife, marine life, and many young marine mammals. The contamination of oil on the coastlines is dangerous to these living species.
Oil slicks do so much more damage than just the initial havoc we see on the news - the effects can be very long lasting. Since first publishing this article in 2007 and even though oil has become even more precious in a world now coming to terms with the fact peak oil is a reality rather than possibility, we've continued to see significant oil leaks and spills occurring on a fairly regular basis. The recent Deep-water Horizon BP oil leak disaster in the Gulf of Mexico well and truly eclipsed the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 and now has the dubious distinction of being one of the largest oil spills on record. Latest official estimates (August 2, 2010) state approximately 4.1 million barrels of oil contaminated the ocean. Effects of oil spills when oil is spilled or leaked into in waterways and the ocean, it spreads very quickly with the help of wind and currents. A single gallon of oil can create an oil slick up to a couple of acres in size! The BP oil slick had spread over 580 square miles in just three days. When oil starts mixing in water, it can change composition and becomes what's known as "mousse". This is a sticky substance that clings even more to whatever it comes in contact with. Many marine animals don't know to avoid a slick and some fish may even be attracted to it as it can resemble food. Some of the many effects on animals coming into contact with crude oil include:
- Hypothermia and drowning of birds as the oil breaks down the insulating capabilities of feathers, makes them heavier and compromises flying ability
- Hypothermia in some seal pups as the oil destroys insulating fur
- if oil is ingested, it can either poison the animal outright, make them extremely sick or create a level of toxins in their system that then causes poisoning further up the food chain. Birds and other animals often ingest oil when trying to clean them. Shellfish and corals are particularly at risk in these scenarios as they cannot escape from an oil slick.
There's really no aspect of a marine and coastal environment that is not in some way adversely affected by an oil spill. The closer the spill occurs to the shoreline, the more pronounced the damage will be due to coastal zones being home to more concentrated and diverse populations of marine, bird and animal life than far out to sea.
World's biggest oil spills.
Here are five of the biggest marine spills in history.
Persian Gulf - January 23, 1991 - up to 1,500,000 tonnes
Gulf of Mexico - 2010 - approximately 574, 000 tonnes (August estimate)
Gulf of Mexico - June 3, 1979 - 454,000 - 480,000 tonnes
Trinidad and Tobago - July 19, 1979 - 287,000 tonnes
Fergana Valley Uzbekistan - March 2, 1992 - 285,000 tonnes
*Laugh* I see a lot of copying and pasting in here. How do Oil Spills effect the environment? Is this question correct? Anyway, oil spills affect the environment is many ways, of which I will not elaborate on. These are negative effects to be exact. The damage to marine life is the most obvious as toxic waste is scattered all around the sea causing marine life to die. Because much of the marine life is destroyed, the area affected by the oil spill will continue to be affected and organisms will soon disappear therefore the environment is now deserted and polluted. Families of fish and plants will suddenly be overwhelmed by the oil spills and will die therefore a great reduction in marine life numbers (not good for sushi companies). As much as I would like to say more, the other 14 comments has pretty much explained the effects on the environment and I do not want to outshine their comments so I leave it there.
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