Major Sources of Oil Spills:
- tanker spills or sinks
- runoff from boats
- oil in waste (sewage)
- offshore drilling/ runoff from roads or pipelines
- natural sepage from land or ocean floor
Short Term Effects:
- reduction of light transmission: by reducing the amount of sunlight that can penetrate through to plants in the sea, photosynthesis is reduced and plant growth is affected
- reduction in DO (dissolved oxygen)- hinders the rate of oxygen uptake by water
- damage to marine wildlife- because oil can collect in feathers or fur and can be ingested, many birds, mammals, and invertebrates can die (drown, can't fly, freeze, stave, etc.)
Long Term Effects:
- oil interferes with chemical messengers in organisms so have trouble finding food, mates, shelter, etc. because their stimuli can get "blocked" by the oil compounds.
- oil serves as a concentration medium for poisons like pesticides reach organisms in higher levels than usual, causing more damage
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