According to “Perfluorinated Chemicals”, there were 4.2 million barrels of oils spilled from the BP. Totally, oil spills cause huge damage to marine environment, especially on marine life. Oil, a product that we often use to keep warm, can cause hypothermia in marine animals. As oil mixes with water, it forms a substance called "mousse," which sticks to feathers and fur. (Jennifer Kennedy, 2004, para.5)For example, hundreds of seabirds die per year because they are insulated by mousses so that they are not able to keep warm.
Oil washed ashore on both islands resulting in one-thousand penguins being oiled and five-thousand birds died either during transportation or in the first few days after arriving at the rescue stations (Adams). Luckily, four-thousand-seven-hundred-eighteen penguins could be cleaned by the South African National Foundation and later returned to their habitat. The Apollo Sea tragedy was the largest South African oil spill for penguins before the sinking of the Treasure (Anderson). Shortly after, it became noticed that there was a larger number of seabirds at risk of being oiled off South Africa. Actions were immediately taken to help reduce the risk of more penguins becoming oiled.
Some immediate impacts consist of oil coated bird feathers causing birds to lose their buoyancy and the ability to regulate body temperature. Mammals could have ingested oil which causes ulcers and internal bleeding. Sea turtles were covered in oil and dead and dying deep sea corals were discovered seven miles from the Deepwater Horizon well. Amore long term but serious effect is that the BP oil spill hit at the peak of breeding season for many species
This makes a red tide very hard to predict or find. HABs have been reported in almost every U.S. coastal state, and their occurrence may be on the rise. One of the best known HABs in the nation occurs nearly every summer along Florida’s Gulf Coast. In this case, the mortalities are caused by exposure to a potent neurotoxin called brevetoxin which is produced naturally by the marine algae Karenia brevis. This affects the central nervous system of fish so that they are paralyzed and can't breathe.
The loss of the whale habitat is caused many by humans. Landfills, harbors, shipping channels, fisheries and fish farms occupy or destroy areas the area needed for feeding, resting and breeding (Habitat Loss). 2. The use of marine areas can drive away the whales that would normally use those areas (Habitat Loss). B.
Like all animals, sharks are an important part of the ecosystem, without them the entire ecosystem will collapse. “Each year, up to 73 million sharks are killed for their fins, despite the fact that 30% of shark species are threatened or nearly threatened with extinction” (Krista Mahr). With fewer sharks existing in the ecosystem, their prey would multiply and become over populated and eventually wipe out other species. This occurrence will have an immense impact on many communities that rely on healthy fisheries. Shark poaching is a big concern because it affects the future of sharks and their place of living.
The four countries under this treaty are the U.S.,Japan, Great Britain and Russia. Throughout the 1750’s and 1911, a single fur coat could bring in 1,125 dollars. Although most of the poaching of sea otters has subsided, other factors have come into play (Fernandez, James). Pollution of kelp forests and oil spills are extreme threats to sea otters. Since the sea otter spends most of its life in the water, thousands are killed by oil spills.
The Effect of Climate Change on Leatherback Turtles Each year thousands of leatherback turtles, scientifically known as Dermochelys coriacea, lose their lives. It is estimated that only 1 in 1000 hatchlings survive to adulthood. Perilous circumstances have led to their addition to the endangered list. With lives fraught with a constant battle of survival, these aquatic organisms contend with predation from birds and anthropogenic activities including over harvesting and pollution. They now confront, what many specialists believe to be their biggest threat, climate change.
The topic I chose to write about is the effects of an oil spill on an environment and ecosystems. When this event occurs it is very devastating and it impacts entire ecosystems of the affected areas. Oil spills are very dangerous and can wipe out species from the areas it affects, large numbers of wildlife like fish, seals, whales, plankton, crabs, and birds are killed during this event. The entire ecosystem is change forever and it will never go back to the same. Oils spills can cover up large areas of land with black tar that is very difficult to clean up; if this happens out at sea the tar stretches into a thin slick that stretches out for miles until it hits land.
Usually oil spills happen when ships carrying large oil tanks sink in the ocean, causing the oil to leak out of its containers and contaminate the ocean, killing thousands of marine lives. When this happens, people should take responsibility and take actions to clean up the ocean to minimize its deadly effects to the marine life. We can actually