Oil Spill Response Essay

Oil spills are one of the worst things that can happen to wildlife. For example the Exxon Valdez oil spill that occurred on March 24, 1989 was the worst oil spill to ever happen in North American waters. A tanker from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska ran into a reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound. 11 million gallons of oil spilled into the water. The area that the oil spilled into had a large amount of wildlife. In the region

Massive cleanup efforts were initiated within a few weeks of the spill and they continued at reduced levels for the next three years. Approximately 14% of the spilled oil was recovered by cleanup crews (Newsweek, p.50). As a result of these efforts and natural weathering, little oil from the spill remained in the affected area by 1992. However, according to the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration some oil residues are still found under the ocean surface in areas sheltered from wind and waves. Yet, these residues are highly weathered and the toxicity is reduced to levels tolerable by organisms in the water (7). Nonetheless, the magnitude and timing of the Exxon Valdez oil spill raised immediate concerns about possible effects on marine fish and wildlife and prospects that these effects might be long lasting.

With all of the disasters mankind has caused to this earth, one might wonder if things like earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, etc. are nothing more than a response to our actions. The BP oil spill, which took place in the Gulf of Mexico, is easily recognizable as the worst oil spill disaster in American history. More than 200 million gallons of crude oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days total. The entire 16,000 miles of the Gulf coastline were affected. This included Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. The oil may have stopped gushing in 2010, but it has yet to stop washing up on the shore.

Until now, when the offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon exploded in 2010 and dumped 4.9 million barrels of oil into Louisiana salt marshes, scientists had no idea which kinds of animals were most affected and what impact it had on the food chain. However, with a new study from a Coastal Waters Consortium team of researchers led by Rutgers University postdoctoral researcher, Michael McCann, has found out what animals and insects affected by the Deepwater Horizon explosion that should be given the top priority for conservation, protection and research. The researchers found that terns, gulls and wading birds were both sensitive to the oil and so deeply connected to other animals in the food chain as predator and prey that losing them would impact

Alford, J. B., Peterson, M. K., Green, C. C. (2014). Lessons from the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: A Biological Perspective. In J.B. Alford (Ed.), Impacts of Oil Spill Disasters on Marine Habitats and Fisheries in North America. (pp. 101- 123). Anchorage, AK: CRC Press.

IMPACT OF THE DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO ON THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

Only five years ago thousands of birds, dolphins, and sea turtles were washing up on the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico slicked and smothered by oil. The explosion of British Petroleum's Macondo oil rig off the coast on Louisiana was the largest environmental disaster to have occurred in the United States. This well leaked over 130 million gallons of light crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, destroying habitats and killing massive amounts of wildlife. Over eighty-seven days the oil spread through the water in a 21 mile plume, creating oil slicks on the surface of the water. Oil within the Gulf caused alarming short-term effects to wildlife in the initial days of the spill, but as these short term effects begin to disappear, BP was quick to claim

The oils spills can kill the animals or delay their reproduction, growth and development. The entire reef ecosystem can suffer from an oil spill, affecting the many species of fish, crabs, and other marine animals that live in and around the coral reefs.

The National Wildlife Federation posted an article referring to the April 2010 oil known as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in which the author discusses the major impact that the spill had on the Gulf environment. This oil spill had detrimental effects on environment and the cleanup efforts caused an even more harsh impact on the numerous aquatic animals that are native to the Gulf. In the article, ‘The Deepwater Horizon’s Impact on Gulf Wildlife and Habitats’, the author tried to articulate the gravity of the damage caused by the spill and the long-term effect that the spill would have on the Gulf and its population of aquatic animals. The author of the article refers specifically to the whale, sea turtle, and dolphin population, as well

According to Elliott, D. (2015), the BP oil crisis was extremely hard on marine life and the coastal areas of the Gulf. Birds and sea life were all negatively affected. Many were coated with oil, and the cleanup was extremely difficult. The wild life death rate for the gulf area was high. BP has worked to clean up the mess, but the effects may linger for a long period. Oil is still on the bottom of the ocean, and buried in the sand. Wild life is still being affected. The author notes that tourism has rebounded, but some of the seafood industries are struggling.

The article studied the effects of the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig operated by British Petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. The spill released 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The spill impacted hundreds of miles of marine ecosystem along the Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida coastlines. (Cisneros-Montemayor, Sumaila, Dyck, Huang, Jacquet, Kleisner, & et al, 2012, p.499) The impacts on the marine ecosystem trickled down to impact economic functions of commercial fishing, mariculture, tourism, energy markets, and recreation. (Cisneros-Montemayor, Sumaila, Dyck, Huang, Jacquet, Kleisner, & et al, 2012, p.500) Considering the geographical located of the oil spill, the tropical system of the Gulf of Mexico played a key role during the oil spill. Tropical systems make a great habitat for mangroves and marshes, but these types of plants tend to suck up the oil and can retain it for long periods of time. (Cisneros-Montemayor, Sumaila, Dyck, Huang, Jacquet, Kleisner, & et al, 2012, p.501)

These two studies investigated the effects of the April 2010 BP Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the observable effects that it has had on coral reef and salt marsh ecosystems. The study conducted by White investigated nine coral communities six months after the spill using ROVs. In an area 11 km west of the spill site, the researchers studied scleractinian, gorgonian, antipatharian corals and found many that were covered with floc, a brown flocculent material, that is linked to coral tissue damage and mortality. The study conducted by Silliman et. al. investigated the oil spill impacts on the salt marshes lining the Louisiana coast. Silliman and his team identify oil spills as one of the most damaging forms of pollution due to their unpredictable nature and associated lack of readily available tools and resources that would be needed to restrict their impact on nearby ecosystems. The team studied salt marshes located in Barataria Bay, LA which was one the regions that experienced some of the most extensive oiling from the spill. The team investigated the current status and future impacts of the spill on the marshes. Past data revealed that negative impacts on marshes could be corrected with plant re-growth and oil degradation that naturally occurs with time, and at even faster rates in warmer climates, which provides a hopeful outlook for the LA region. In addition to the direct effects of oiling, the team also analyzed the geomorphic effects that may be a

In Santa Barbara, California, in 1969, even though the spilled oil was not even very large, thousands of dolphins, seals, and birds were killed (Ivanovich, and Hays, 2008). Moreover, in the Gulf of Mexico, 82,000 birds, roughly 6,165 sea turtles, approximately 25,900 marine mammals, and indefinite amount of oysters, fishes, corals, and crabs have been harmed or killed by the spilled oil. Additionally, the spilled has killed many aquatic plants. ( A Center for Biological Diversity Report, 2008). As a result, vegetation, which are the most essential part of the ecological pyramid, and other animals will be affected negatively by the dangerous impact of the spilled oil, which probably is going to cause some problems in the ecological pyramid. In fact, any defect in the ecological pyramid may become a dreadful problem that occurs an ecological

Over the years, the oil industry has grown larger. Shipments of oil have been moved by sea from one country to another. In this event, oil spills tend to occur. This disaster can affect the environment in many ways. It can affect both the animals and the habitats living in the habitats.

Many have described the post-spill Gulf as a gigantic chemical experiment, with as yet unknown effect on its delicate ecosystem. By July 2010, one third of the Gulf’s fishing area—more than 80,000 square miles—had been closed, affecting the livelihood of thousands in coastal Louisiana and Mississippi.