AIM: How do oil spills affect the environment?

DN: What types of animals are affected by oil spills? How?

• http://www.wsj.com/video/california-oil-spill-state-of-emergency-declared/EAE3024E-DCA4-4BDD-8F3E-035EB9ADCA2C.html

What types of animals are affected by oil spills?

Any aquatic organism or shorebird is affected by oil spills.

How are animals affected by oil spills?1. Hypothermia2. Poisoning/internal damage3. Increased predation4. Decreased reproduction5. Habitat destruction

Hypothermia• The fur of animals and the

feathers of birds have air spaces between them that acts as an insulator to keep them warm.

• The oil causes the feathers or fur to stick together preventing it from acting as an insulator.

• This can cause their body temperature to drop too much, potentially causing death

Poisoning/Internal Damage• Ingestion– Ulcers– Damage RBC’s– Damage to kidneys, liver,

immune system• Oil vapors– Eye and lung irritation– Drowsiness- can cause drowning

• Biomagnificaton- – the amount of oil increases in concentration as it moves

through the food chain.

Increased Predation

Oil weighs down feathers and fur of organisms, making it difficult for them to escape

predators.

Decreased Reproduction

• Oil can affect the eggs• Disruption of reproductive hormones and

behaviors

Habitat Destruction

• Offshore and onshore

How are oil spills cleaned?1. Blooms and Skimmers2. Dispersants3. Biological agents4. Naturally broken down

1. Booms and skimmers

• Solid or inflatable tubes surround the oil• Booms are 3 feet above the surface and

attach to a skirt below the surface• Skimmers scoop up the oil into tanks

2. Dispersants• Chemicals that break down the oil into droplets• Mixes into the water easier- not good in all areas

3. Biological agents

Biodegredation- bacteria and other microorganisms break down the oil into harmless substances

4. Naturally broken downSun, wind, current and waves can naturally

break the oil down over time.

• effect of oil spills on animals

1989- Exxon Valdez Oil Spill• Prince William Sound, Alaska• Spilled about 11 million gallons of oil after hitting a reef• Led to 1990 Oil Pollution Act• Estimated killing of– 250,000 seabirds– 2,800 sea otters– 300 harbor seals– 250 bald eagles– at least a dozen killer whales– billions of salmon and herring eggs

• flashback to exxon valdez oil spill

2010- BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill

• Gulf of Mexico• Over 200 million gallons of oil was pumped

into the Gulf of Mexico • Lasted 87 days (April – July)• Killed 11 people

Cat Island

Explosion of Natural gas on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig caused it to collapse

When the platform sank, it ruptured the riser (the pipe that connects the well at the ocean floor to the drilling platform on the surface), causing the oil to gush out.

Attempts to shut down the flow failed when a safety device called a blowout preventer (BOP) could not be activated.

• Attempts to shut down the flow failed when a safety device called a blowout preventer (BOP) could not be activated.

What Happened?

The Explosion

Oil gushing from the pipe

• BP Oil Spill timeline

• Cat Island

Long term effects of the BP oil spill1. Sick dolphins2. Higher rate of turtle

strandings3. Unbalanced food

web- the spill occurred during prime breeding season

4. Decreased fish and wildlife populations

5. Decline in recreation