Hobbies And Interests
Birds
Among the first victims -- and often the most obvious -- are aquatic birds. When oil touches their habitat, they suffer immediately: oil adheres to their feathers in a sticky, glutinous coat that makes it impossible to fly, thereby condemning them to a slow death as they are unable to feed. It can also mean death from hypothermia as the insulating and waterproofing properties of their plumage are destroyed, and being grounded makes them easy targets for predators.
Fish
Despite being beneath an oil slick, fish also suffer in large numbers. Television pictures have shown graphic scenes of dead fish washing up on beaches after oil spills. Oil clogs the gills of fish, making them unable to breathe, and they can be poisoned by eating prey coated in oil or directly ingesting oil. Also, their breeding cycles and routines can be upset as eggs and larvae are susceptible to the toxins in oil.
Mammals
Mammals with fur often die from hypothermia as their coats become compromised by oil, which destroys insulation. Animals such as sea otters are often poisoned as they ingest or inhale the oil during attempts to clean themselves. Other aquatic mammals such as seals or sea lions ingest or inhale oil as they swim or feed, causing damage to lungs, livers and kidneys, resulting in death. Toxins in oil also damage their immune systems, cause skin disease and affect their ability to reproduce.
Coastal Habitat
Oil from slicks often washes ashore and can remain in the environment for a long time, sometimes as much as 30 years. As a result, other, nonaquatic, birds and animals suffer, too, either immediately as coastal scavengers such as eagles and foxes feed on contaminated bodies and become poisoned, or in the longer term as the reproductive cycles of their prey are disrupted. Plants are also affected as their germination and growth are damaged.