The BP oil spills devastating impact on the ecosystem and community in the Gulf of Mexico is undeniable. More than 127 million gallons of crude oil gushed into the Gulf, making it the largest oil accident in history. Hundreds of miles of shoreline and ocean were oiled, seriously affecting the Gulfs marine life. Marine life essentially has no way of avoiding an oil spill. More than 8,000 birds marine organisms were found dead or injured in the Gulf after the oil spill. When oil is mixed in water, it changes and becomes “mousse”, which is an extremely sticky substance that clings to animals, shorelines and anything else it comes in contact with. The oil had a devastating effect of the Gulfs sea bird life; the oil clings to the feathers of birds, weighing them down, enabling them from flying, which eventually causes them to drown or die of hypothermia because the oil breaks down the insulation of their feathers. Ingestion of oil also has fatal effects on marine life. When ingested, oil is basically poison to animals, making them extremely sick or creating toxins in that then causes poisoning further up the food chain.
If an animal isn’t killed due to the oil clinging to their bodies, they are most likely killed from ingesting the oil when trying to clean themselves. Over 300 sea birds, such as brown pelicans and northern gannets were killed as result of the spreading oil, and more than 150 threatened or endangered sea turtles were killed. Shellfish, shrimp, fish, algae and corals were all also heavily impacted because they cannot escape the oil filled water. The oil not only affects the marine organisms, but also affects the plant life as well. Sea grass beds were damaged due to oil washing up on shores. Sea grass beds and shorelines serve as breeding grounds and shelter for organisms, and the damage to those grasses impacted the population of many creatures. Even once the oil dissipated from the surface, it still settles beneath in the seabed, severely affecting organisms that burrow and sift through sand for food, such as crabs, shrimp and other shellfish. Those organisms are food for other animals, enabling the poisonous cycle to continue for decades even after the oil seems to disperse.
There are many oil spills in history and I’m sure there will be more to come. The BP oil spill is caused by our addiction to oil. The only way we can prevent another oil spill is to eliminate offshore drilling, which can only be achieved if we cut back our dependency on oil and find other alternative and sustainable sources to fuel the world.
Sources:
http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/10-most-horrifying-facts-about-the-gulf-oill-spill/
https://www.nwf.org/Oil-Spill/Effects-On-Wildlife.aspx
https://www.nwf.org/Oil-Spill/Effects-On-Wildlife.aspx
http://www.greenlivingtips.com/blogs/164/Effects-of-oil-spills.html
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/bp-oil-spill-size-0528