Oil_Polution

Research Paper Abstract: The Marine Wildlife of the United States Coastal Shores has been faced with a dangerous threat to their survival. Oil spills have constantly eradicated various species of wildlife and continues to occur overtime. The ways in which marine wildlife is affected is beyond any means of recovery for a long period of time. Over the years mankind has been known to be the epicenter of the destruction of the natural environment, mans desire to change the environment to suit their needs instead of adapting to it has brought about major imbalance and disasters in the environment. This affects the living creatures within it. Roads have been built by man to facilitate motor vehicles that emit toxic particles into the atmosphere, factories emit harmful gases that destroys the ozone barrier that protects us from the sun, forests have been destroyed to facilitate mans needs for construction and the list goes on. Mankind’s activities have lead to major disasters but one in particular which is far more disastrous than others is oil spills, this disaster places a massive role in deteriorating the marine environment. The Coastal Shores of the United States of America has been the home to various oil spills that has caused some serious long term damages to marine wildlife. Mankind’s need to transport oil across coastal shores has caused major effects on marine wildlife through oil spills. An Oil spill can be defined as the accidental release into a body of water by way of an oil tanker, offshore drilling rig or an underwater pipeline. Animals that lives and hunt in the affected water, faces a dangerous threat of being exposed to the oil. The impact of an oil spill on marine wildlife is depending upon the quantity of the oil released and the amount of species that dwells in the affected region. Oil spills poses a threat to the survival of wildlife on the U.S Coastal shores and intervenes with the food chain. According to Stephanie Rogers (2011) who wrote an article entitled “Americas top ten worst manmade disasters”; the Exxon Valdez oil spill that occurred on the southern shores (Prince William Sound) of the United States was ranked at number two. According to Stephanie Rogers (2008), the Exxon Valdez of 1989 was by far the most notorious man-made environmental disaster in America’s history. It devastated the coast of Alaska when 10.8 million gallons of Prudhoe Bay crude oil was released into the secluded Prince William Sound, eventually covering 11,000 miles of ocean. Prince William Sound has been a pristine ecosystem, home to many variety of wildlife. The Exxon Valdez claimed the life of 250,000 sea birds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, up to 22 orcas, and billions of salmon and herring eggs were killed immediately after the spill. Although the oil spill occurred in 1989 oil was still found in the water to this very day. Unlike other disasters caused by man, oil spill have the capacity to linger for many years. Over these years it has the capacity to cover other areas effecting various other locations which is home to other marine wildlife. There are still species of sea birds, fishes and other aquatic life that have never been recovered from the spill of Valdez. Oil spill Oils affect wildlife by coating their bodies with a thick layer of oil. Oil becomes thicker overtime. Sea birds and other marine animals do not avoid oil spills, as they often mistake it for food. Fishes misinterpret the oil on the surface of the water for food; seabirds seek fishes beneath the surface and dive into the oil to seek out fishes. The type of oil that has been spills will give a different effect. For instance, crude oil and bunker fuels are sticky and overtime will get stickier (weathering). Oils such as redefined petroleum products do not linger on the surface of the water, does not cause long term damage and does not stick to the animals as much but they are far more poisonous. Animal such as birds die from oil spill when their feathers come into contact with the oil, when this happens the bird will try to clean the oil off its feathers in an effort to break free and in doing so become poisoned. Animals and marine wildlife on the other hand can meet their end in other ways. Hyperthermia can occur whereby the animal’s body looses body temperature, oil can enter into the lungs and liver of animals poisoning them. In the wildlife kingdom there lays predators and preys, animals that are blinded by the oil will become easy prey for predators. The animals affected are not just those that preside in the affected area but also other migrating animals that comes to the area not knowing that they are travelling to their death. According to Shirley (Marine Biologist 2010) “spring is the breeding ground for species ranging from migratory birds to sea turtles, all congregating along the affected Gulf Shores. Meaning that entire generation of short lived species such as shrimp or crabs may disappear.” It is rather evident that oil spills can therefore bring about the extinction of various species in the US. The imbalance in the food chain can also lead on other species to become extinct. Oil spills also has a major effect on the food chain, marine mammals often starve or loose weight due to the lack of lack of food in a contaminated oil spilled environment. Water is essential for living creatures to survive, with the oil present in the water, animals have no other alternative but to starve or drink the contaminated water that will eventually lead to their death. Human beings are also a part of the food chain; fish is a good source of protein and are caught by fishermen to sell to the public. There have been many cases of illnesses due to the consumption of fish that consumed the oil. Oil spills not only affect marine wildlife but it also poses a threat to individual’s health. Mankind is often reluctant to recognize the damages that occur due to their negligent action. The marine wildlife is at serious risk, especially delicate seasonal species that could easily become extinct if not paid close attention to. According to Factbox.com (2011) on March 2006 in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. More than 5,000 barrels of oil spilled onshore on Alaska's North Slope due to a leak in a pipeline owned by BP, on August to September 2006 in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Coast Guard estimated that over 167,000 barrel of oil was dispersed in the ocean due to Hurricane Katrina, on November 28, 2000 in Port Sulphur, Louisiana, some 13, 500 barrels of crude oil leaked into the Mississippi River about 60 miles south of New Orleans, on January 19, 1996 in Moonstone Beach, Rhode Island, Almost 20, 000 barrels of home heating oil spread throughout the coast of Block island Sound, on February 7. This is just a few of the oil spill disasters that occurred during the past twenty years. Over the past twenty years there has been ten major oil spills reported in the United States alone. The Exxon Valdez being the most extreme of them all. The cleanup process of oil spills can last up to twenty years with oil residues still being found in the water continuously. The mere fact that oil spills are not easily to clean up and can spread rapidly is the reason for individuals to either avoid risky situations as transporting oil across the coastal shores; other more convenient ways would be to transport oil by mean of air transport. According to the US Department of Energy, “the world uses more than 3.5 billion gallons of oil each “day”. Only sixty percent of that amount reaches its destination by sea. Due to stricter penalties placed on oil shipment by sea since the start in the 1960s the amount of oil spills has decreased”. Agencies responsible for the cleaning up the oil spill of the US Coastal Shores include Coast Guards and the Environmental Protection Agency. Methods of cleanup include containment and skimming, large sponges known as sorbents are used to absorb the oil, and in some cases the oil can be lit; however, this releases toxins into the air. The type of cleanup is very dependent on the time that the cleanup crew takes to arrive at the scene. Oil spills have been occurring for many years, mankind’s need to use and transport oil for place to place poses a threat to the wildlife. Pipeline are built running across the seabed are prone to leaks. The cleaning up process of oil takes several years and over this long period of time marine wildlife and birds suffer the consequences of the negligence of man. If the situation is not taken seriously and steps are taken to prevent constant negligent or by using more safe and convenient means or transporting oil from location to location then mankind is slowly but surely heading to a point where the environment and wildlife has been disturbed to a point of no full recovery.