Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Research Paper

The only argument one can come up with is that an oil spill is a sad side effect of a very necessary oil industry. The oil industry plays a role in almost all machine based industries. It has arguably become the most sought after source of energy. Without the oil industry, much of the world would come to a halt. The energy based market would plummet. So, if minor oil spills and occasional large spills are required to keep the market intact and the energy output in the world consistent, technological enthusiasts will allow it. Even though we can always bring up the importance of the oil industry, on the contrary, an understanding and reasonable person would argue that since our world is being harmed by the oil, its acquiring process, and how the supply is slowly depleting, these oil conglomerates should stop trying to pretend that everything is and stop milking the oil industry till it fails and as the world have nothing to fall back

Lutra canadenis, river otter, in the Prince William Sound, Alaska encountered major effects for the Exxon Valdez oil spill (Duffy et al. 1994). Lutra canadenis consume marine fish and marine invertebrates which makes them unique from freshwater otters and inshore otters (Bowyer et al. 1995). L. canadenis are terrific species to display pollution effects on mammals (Duffy et al. 1994). It was noted by, Duffy et al. that river otters in the areas located in the oil spill had a decrease in body weight and the levels of haptoglobin in the blood was elevated. Duffy et al. discovered that the river otters in the areas affected by the oil had a higher level of haptoglobin, aspartate aminotransferase, and interleukin which indicated that there was

The Exxon-Valdez oil spill occurred on March 24, 1989, when the tanker Exxon Valdez, transporting oil from Valdez, Alaska to Los Angeles, California, ran aground on the Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The root cause of the accident was the captain. After passing through Valdez Narrows, pilot Murphy left the vessel and Captain Hazelwood took over the wheelhouse. It was Captain Hazelwood who made the decision to steer the ship off its normal path in order to avoid a run in with ice. For reasons that remain unclear, as Captain Hazelwood retired in his quarters, his copilots Cousins and Kagan failed to make the turn back into the shipping lanes and the ship ran aground on Bligh Reef at 12:04 a.m., March 24, 1989. There have been several speculations on what occurred, however, The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the accident and determined five probable causes of the grounding: (1) The third mate failed to properly maneuver the vessel, possibly due to fatigue and excessive workload; (2) the master failed to provide a proper navigation watch, possibly due to impairment from alcohol; (3) Exxon Shipping Company failed to supervise the master and provide a rested and sufficient crew for the Exxon Valdez; (4) the U.S. Coast Guard failed to provide an effective vessel traffic system; and (5) effective pilot and escort services were lacking.

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill was an oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico was caused by a faulty blowout preventer this is part of the oil rig that was designed by the workers as an emergency shutdown valve. As a result of this anywhere from 1,000 barrels of oil to 5,000 barrels of oil were lost over the course of 100 days. A blowout preventer is a machine on the oil rig for safety to shut down the flow of oil coming out of the well at the bottom of the seafloor. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill caused a good number of environmental damage as well as killed wildlife and has taken the lives of 11 workers that day. The oil would eventually make it’s way to coastlines (shorelines) of Texas , Florida , Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi.

The oil spill in 2010, “the second highest oil spill in history,” took place because of an eruption at an oil-drilling site, which caused the oil to spill into the Gulf of Mexico (Abdul). About 666,400 tones of oil spilled harming birds, seat turtles, mammals, and

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill, also called the Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010, was the largest oil spill in U.S. history, was caused by an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig on April 20, 2010. It happened in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana.

Rig of the drilling Deep-water Horizon operated under British petroleum failed in its operation sinking below the seawater of the Gulf of Mexico on the 20th of April 2010. More than 11 workers lost their lives. After this incident, tons and tons of oil gushed from the main opening of the well, buried 1600 meters below the sea level.

Oil spills affect our economy largely; Tourism, fisheries and real estate prices will take a toll for the outcome of oil spills. For those who live and work on the coast, the impact will be most severe, as coastal fisheries are the lifeblood of these communities. Tourism along the coast will take a slide, as many tourist normally flock by the beachside.

Initially, responses were slow to the oil spill because it was off of the coast. On March 25th, crews transferred the oil that was not spilled to the Exxon Baton Rouge tanker to be brought back to shore. Authorities attempted to burn the oil nears the spill site, while aircrafts applied dispersants to break up the oil in the area. Sadly, there were not enough of these dispersants available to affect an oil spill this vast. On March 26th, a winter storm in the area spread the oil over 100 square miles, where it made it to the shore in some places.

During oil spills many animals, and ecosystems are destroyed. Many issues happen when the oil spill in 40 miles away or less . When this happens the oil gets on many plants, fish, and on other animals and sometimes animals drink the water and eat the fish. When this happens many animals are seriously injured or even killed. In some occasions, like the Exxon Valdez oil spill it can even go on shore, up streams and kill even more animals like sea otters, sea lions and whales. In other oils spills like the Bp Deep horizon oil spill of the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil got caught in the loop current and then it eventually stopped right of the coast of Cuba.

Oil spills are large pools of oil spread across a large area on top of the surface of an ocean but can also lead to multiple harmful effects to an ecosystem to marine animals present in the area .Multiple variables can lead to an oil spill, some oil spills can happen by outdated equipment or poor weather conditions while others can be caused by mistakes or ignorance of the workers like with the Exxon Valdez in March 1984 .Oil spills that occur near shore can be hazardous areas for aquatic and marine animals present in the area,When oil is ingested by marine animals it can have long term effects on the animal's health and can temporarily cause the inability for the animal to float above water and to keep warm which is vital for these animals

Many immediate and long term effects occur from oil spills/production on the environment. Immediate effects being damage to the ecosystem because of the spill and chemicals used to clean it up. While long

Over time the sea water started to convert the oil into an emulsion that looks like mousse. This emulsion is very difficult to remove from the sea water. The oil spill had spread southwest because of harsh winds. It spread to the Alaska Peninsula from Prince William Sound about 750km (470 miles) in trajectory. The clean-up efforts came from the U.S. Coast Guard, Exxon, and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. The effects are still seen today on the shore line of Eleanor Island, Alaska where if you dig a hole in the ground oil will seep into the hole. Animals were found covered in oil and were imminently tended to be cleaned and taken care of until the water was clean enough for them to live. Many otters and birds were found dead and covered in oil. Clean up involved power washing rocks on the shore line. Support vessels also came to the aid of the Exxon ship. Oil was also contained with a containment boom, and DC-6 planes sprayed dispersants in the water. High winds pushed crude oil and it was found up to Squire Island.

An oil spill is a manmade disaster that has had an environmental impact as well as an economic impact on the various countries that they have occurred in. Oil spills have not only been a problem in the United States, but they have also caused damage in many other countries. However, there is a set of safety measures and regulations that can be taken to help prevent this manmade disaster from occurring. While drilling for and extracting oil, mistakes can be made that cause an oil spill to occur; however, there are also various methods to cleaning up an oil spill.

Oil spills wreak havoc on many different factors of the world. They can negatively impact the environment, specifically marine life, and economic industries, as well. Most oil spills occur when a large amount of oil is released due to accidents of vehicles or machinery. Although it can occur anywhere, it’s most visible in oceans or bodies of water. Spills can be because of human error or accident, natural disasters, or faulty equipment. Additional problems arise because spills take a significant amount of time to clean. The oil spreads across the body of water and floats on the surface, preventing sunlight from passing. This can cause substantial damage and harm to the animal and plant life. Spills also cover wildlife in oil, which can expose animals to dangerous elements, and destroy the insulating ability of fur mammals and the water-repelling ability of birds. Oil contains poisonous chemicals, and when animals ingest or inhale this oil, they are often infected or killed. They also pollute bodies of water and contaminate human water resources. Toxic substances in the oil cause extensive damage to the ecosystem and food chains. They also have a significant influence on the economic industries. Oil spills mean that there’s less gas and petroleum available for public use. There’s always the cost of cleaning the spill, which may require outside or expensive assistance. The tourism industry also takes a hit, especially in usually popular areas, such as Florida beaches. The once beautiful attractions become ugly and gross, covered in dead animals and tarballs - balls of oil. This prevents recreational activities such as parasailing, swimming, rafting, etc. This thereby ruins the businesses that run the activities and the tourism industries, hurting the economic status of the state or country. However, there are many solutions, including preventative, preparedness, and cleanup methods. Preventative methods start at the initial building of the equipment that will later produce, hold, and transport oil. Proper training on how to conduct oil procedures should also be enforced for the employees who will later have to handle oil. These measures decrease the likelihood of an oil spill happening later. Preparedness