Effects on marine life
Oil spills have a devastating and long-term impact on waterways and coastal areas around the world. When a spill occurs, oil rapidly spreads in the water thanks to currents and the wind. As it spreads, oil mixes with water and becomes sticky, clinging to helpless marine life unable to avoid its deadly pursuit. The environmental effects can have serious consequences for many marine populations. Oil can cause hypothermia and drowning of birds as the oil breaks down the insulating capabilities of their feathers, makes them heavier and compromises their flying ability. It can also cause hypothermia in seal pups and otters as the oil destroys their insulating fur. What's more, birds and other animals often ingest oil when trying to clean themselves which can poison them and create toxins in their immune systems. Birds that dive under water to catch food are most vulnerable to spilled oil since they spend most of their time sitting on the water between dives. In the Great Lakes, and in the shore waters of the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, loons, grebes, and diving ducks such as long-tailed ducks, mergansers, and eiders are most affected by oil spills. Dabbling ducks including the American black ducks and mallards are often victims of oil spilled into the shallow coastal and inland waters of their habitats. Seabirds including puffins, shearwaters, razorbills, murres, and dovekies are frequently affected by offshore oil spills. These birds live mainly on open water, however; they can also become oiled in coastal waters since they come to coastal islands to breed. Oil spills can have more devastating effects on some bird populations than on others. Birds that lay several eggs are more likely to recover from deaths caused by oil spills than those that lay fewer eggs. The bottom line: the closer the spill occurs to the shoreline, the greater the ecological damage since coastal areas are home to more concentrated and diverse populations of marine life than at sea. Spills can also severely harm turtle eggs and damage fish larvae, causing deformities. Shellfish and corals are particularly at risk since they can't escape the runaway slick. Oil spills are also responsible for tainting algae, which perform a vital role in waterway ecosystems. If a spill isn't contained quickly, oil can lie beneath the surface of beaches and the sea, severely affecting marine organisms that burrow, such as crabs, for decades. Since these burrowing creatures are a food source for other animals, the cycle of poisoning can continue for many years.
source:
http://www.hoytsales.com/rocbarrier/effects_on_marine_life.htm
birds die because their feathers stick and cant move or fly, fish die of poisoning other marine mammals also die from movement impairment for being like glued to rocks.
Oil spills affect marine animals by the dangerous chemicals that endanger thousands of lives in the ocean. One oil tank that spilled will affect millions of marine animals. It will take months or maybe years to clean these oil spills. So please, TAKE CARE OF THE EARTH!it also endangers their homes yea so take care of the earth!!!
The marine environment hugely is altered by the presence of oil once it's discovered by people. Equipment and employees are brought in to access and remove the oil. So the traffic, the pollution and the accompanying downward spiral in food sources, habitat options and water quality of the area vastly increase. Additionally, there's the damage from such catastrophic events as oil spills.
The oil contains not just oil itself but poisonous chemicals. When the chemicals dissolve into water, the animal lives under the water will die slowly.
For garbage, it may causes confusion towards the marine animals. When animals see garbage such as plastic bag, they will try to eat it and eventually choke them. Many of the marine animals died and garbage are found within their bodies.
they suffocate the bottom of the food chain, taking food from all the others...
Yes, oil spills can affect marine life very much! It is sad to think about how much an oil spill can kill.
When the water is polluted by oil spills, agriculture chemicals, heat, factories waste, garbage and sewage.
Ships undersea volcanoes and oil spills
Pollution, Oil spills, Overfishing and ocean currents
Ships and ferries mostly travel using petroleum, which gives out greenhouse gases. These harmful gases contribute greatly to global warming. These can also affect marine life, causing them to die out. Also, there might be occasional oil leaks and oil spills, which will harm the marine ecosystem and contaminate the water as well.
Yes
Oil contaminate and kills the sea. Oil is a toxin, which would kill the sea life in a matter of seconds.
The oil spill that's traveling along the u.s border is affecting marine life majorly. all living things in the water are affected. the fish breath from water and oxygen, and with the oil traveling through the water,,,, all the life will die. idk how we are going to fix this. but i hope it stops soon. im only 14 by the way, hope this helped a little.=)
oil spills kill or harm wild life and it pollutes the earth
oil spills, trash and bacteria has been killing the marine species
Oil spills are very bad for Duckweed growth. This is because duckweed need oxygen and oil spills keep oxygen from reaching the plant.
the effect of oil spills is that it kills animals .such as birds and it can harm humans