How do Oil Spills Affect Marine Life?

Oil spills can happen in a number of ways, including the mishandling of oil pipes and tankers. Their profound affect on the marine environment has been carefully documented, in no small part due to famous spills like the Exxon Valdez in 1989. Oil spills affect marine life in a variety of ways, and without intervention on the part of scientists and ecologists, the marine environment may have a slow recovery time.

In addition to prominently profiled sources of oil spills and oil slicks, a lot of oil enters the marine environment through day-to-day human activity. Storm drains, for example, collect a great deal of oil waste from the streets and pass it on to the world's oceans. Spills can also occur due to natural seepage from oil bearing areas. The most dangerous type is one that dumps a large amount of oil all at once, overloading the ability of the ocean to process it. These large oil spills affect marine life very negatively.

When oil is spilled, most of the volatile compounds evaporate quickly. The oil, however, remains floating on the surface of the water, and starts to disperse, forming a very thin film that can cover large areas of water. Marine life that lives, hunts, or travels in the area covered with oil can be affected. Different types of marine life are impacted differently, depending on their physiology and habits. The compounds left behind after the volatile compounds play a large part in why oil spills affect marine life, since many of them are toxic, dense, and bioaccumulative.

One of the most direct ways in which marine life is affected by oil spills is by essentially suffocating plants and animals. Marine plants can be covered in a film of oil which prevents oxygen and water exchange, causing the plants to die. Marine life which feeds on this vegetation will in turn struggle to survive. Coatings of oil on the flesh of birds and mammals can literally kill them through suffocation. Oil spills also affect marine life such as birds by stripping the water resistant coating from their feathers. A bird weighed down by oil may have difficulty flying, and will develop hypothermia as a result of exposure to extremely cold water. Mammals also suffer, as oil can remove water resistant compounds from the coats of furred marine life like otters and seals.

Oil spills affect marine life like filter feeders by concentrating in the flesh of these animals. Clams, mussels, and oysters may quickly accumulate toxins, which can kill the animals or be passed on along the food chain. Human consumers often complain that shellfish harvested from an area impact by an oil spill taste heavy and oily. Animals that rely on these filter feeders for food may become sick and die as a result of consuming them. Oil spills usually affect marine life at multiple levels of the food chain, and require a lot of work to fix the problem.

The inhalation and ingestion of compounds related to oil spills can also harm marine life, both in the long and short term. In the long term, oil spills interfere with the ability of marine life to breed, reproduce, grow, or perform other vital functions. Toxins in oil can also cause cancers and other illnesses in the long term. If left untreated, the area around an oil spill can be denuded of life. Fortunately, there are ways to clean up oil spills. In addition to chemicals, ecologists also use bacteria which thrive on the compounds in oil to digest it and render it less harmful.

Oil spills can cause immediate and devastating effects on marine life. Animals like seabirds and fur-bearing mammals can suffer from hypothermia due to oil disrupting the insulating properties of their feathers or fur. Fish and invertebrates may experience reduced growth, impaired reproduction, and increased susceptibility to disease due to the toxic components of oil.

Oil spills can disrupt the marine food chain at multiple levels. Phytoplankton and zooplankton, which form the base of the food web, can be poisoned by oil, leading to decreased populations. This has a cascading effect, as species higher up the food chain, including fish and marine mammals, struggle to find adequate food sources, potentially leading to starvation and population declines.

Yes, oil spills can cause long-term damage to marine habitats. Coral reefs, for example, can suffer from smothering by oil, which impedes their ability to photosynthesize and reproduce. Mangroves and coastal wetlands may experience lasting harm as oil penetrates root systems, reducing their growth and ability to filter water, with recovery spanning years to decades.

Marine birds are particularly vulnerable to oil spills. Oil coating their feathers destroys their waterproofing and insulation, leading to hypothermia, drowning, or flight impairment. Ingesting oil while preening can cause internal damage, liver failure, and decreased reproductive success. According to studies, oil spills have led to significant mortality rates in bird populations affected by the contamination.

Cleanup efforts are crucial for mitigating the impact of oil spills on marine life. Techniques such as skimming, bioremediation, and the use of dispersants can remove or break down oil, though each method has its trade-offs. Prompt action can save many animals and help habitats recover more quickly, but some ecological damage may still persist long-term.

Some species are more resilient to oil spills due to their ability to rapidly reproduce or migrate away from affected areas. However, many species are highly vulnerable, especially those with longer lifespans and slower reproductive rates, such as sea turtles and marine mammals. These species can suffer from long-lasting population declines due to the direct and indirect effects of oil spills.