Hobbies And Interests
Sea Life
The first thing to suffer in the aftermath of an oil spill is the sea life. Oil is not only poisonous if ingested by fish and sea mammals, but also affects the entire marine ecosystem and food chain. Oil on the surface blocks out sunlight, which means sea plants die out. This in turn means there is less food for the smaller fish who rely on these as a food source. The larger carnivorous fish then have fewer smaller fish to eat. The oil not only stays on the surface, but also forms as droplets in the water which can be carried away by the currents, transporting the oil to places much further away. The oil spill on the surface can usually be contained by inflatable pontoons to stop it spreading too far.
Birds
Oil-covered sea birds commonly appear on the news in the aftermath of an oil spill. This happens as many sea birds dive to catch fish to eat. As they go through the oil-covered surface it sticks to their feathers. This hampers their ability to fly, meaning many will drown or be unable to move if they manage to get back to shore. Sea birds play a major role in the marine ecosystem and losing them has far reaching impacts on the aquatic world.
Humans
An oil spill has two obvious affects on people. Firstly it is a huge waste of petroleum which could result in rising gas prices, and secondly has a major affect on the food chain, as fish in that region are no longer edible.
Money
Oil spill cleanup cost can run into the billions and is a problem that has to be dealt with then and there. This means money has to be diverted from other projects or taken out of emergency funds. This money, in the longer term, will need to be paid for somehow which will usually mean a combination of taxes and fines for the company involved.
Businesses
Many coastal areas rely on the sea as a major source of income, from fishing or the tourist industry. If there is an oil spill off the coast, the seas in that area cannot be fished and the tourism industry will disappear overnight. Unfortunately these problems do not disappear as soon as the oil is cleaned up, but can stay around for years, devastating all local businesses directly, or indirectly, affected by fishing and tourism.
The Cleanup
Cleaning up oil is a very dirty business as removing it from water is incredibly difficult. One method used is burning it off the surface. This is very effective at removing large patches of oil, but ineffective against smaller areas. It also has major effects on air quality. The dispersants which can be used on oil spills are more effective as a whole for getting rid of the oil, but are made from very harsh chemicals which in turn have adverse effects on sea life.