Domestic oil production has increased in recent years, and vast quantities of oil continually enter the country via vessel or pipeline, moving throughout the. Characteristics of oil spills marine oil spills include crude oil, refined petroleum products gasoline, diesel and other byproducts, heavier fuels bunker fuel and any oily white refuse or waste oil api, 2002. Oil spills may be due to releases of crude oil from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling. The severity of the impact of an oil spill depends on the quantity of the oil. Oil fate during oil spills in the marine environment. Deepwater horizon oil spill, largest marine oil spill in history, caused by an april 20, 2010, explosion on the deepwater horizon oil riglocated in the gulf of mexico, approximately 41 miles 66 km off the coast of louisianaand its subsequent sinking on april 22. However, in most cases, environmental recovery is relatively swift and is complete within 210 years. When oil is spilled into an aquatic environment, it can harm organisms that live on or around the water surface and those that live under water. Deepwater horizon disaster represent only 2 percent of spillrelated marine mammal deaths, and have suggested that.
Deepwater horizon oil spill national ocean service. Torrey canyon incident in 1968 oil spill off uk, the amoco cadiz incident in 1978 oil tanker ran aground off the coast of. Enhancing the value and sustainability of field stations and marine laboratories in the 21st century. Presentation on the assessment of marine oil spill risk and environmental vulnerability for the state of alaska, september 2014 pdf, 35 pages. Complex processes of oil transformation in the marine environment start developing from the first seconds of oils contact with seawater.
Both petroleum and nonpetroleum oil can affect the environment surrounding an oil spill. Although natural seeps releases oil into the marine environment, the oil is mostly released at low rates to which deep sea organisms are adapted. Pdf a gis approach to mapping oil spills in a marine. All types of oil share chemical and physical properties that produce similar effects on the environment. Oil and chemical spill research publications response. Effects of oil spills on marine and coastal wildlife1 edis. Understanding both types of impacts can help spill responders minimize overall impacts to ecological communities and help them to recover much more quickly. The progression, duration, and result of these transformations depend on the properties and composition of the oil itself, parameters of the actual oil spill, and environmental conditions. The feedbacks and transitions occurring in this region will have significant implications for biodiversity, human benefits from the ecosystem, and other important processes within the arctic and global system nilsson et al. The impact of maritime oil pollution in the marine environment. The aftermath of the oil spillages across the globe has. The marine environment, marine living resources and marine. Deepwater horizon oil contaminated every type of habitat that northern gulf of mexico marine mammals occupy. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land.
The severity of impact typically depends on the quantity and type of oil spilt. Oil spills in the marine environment research papers. In general, oil spills can affect animals and plants in two ways. A brief history continued 1969 intervention convention. Use of sorbents for spill r esponse operational guide. Impacts of an oil spill on the marine environment of the. Effects and risk evaluation of oil spillage in the sea areas. Although numerous oil spills have impacted the world, this study focuses on two oil spills in the gulf of mexico, the ixtoc i oil spill 1979 and the deepwater horizon oil spill 2010 dwh, and the exxon valdez oil spill in alaska 1989. As previously described, when oil is present in the environment, it is either dispersed in the top layer of the water littoral zone or remains on the surface and, consequently, on the coastal areas. Oil spill response in the marine environment 1st edition.
There are also over 20 equipment stockpiles around the country. View oil spills in the marine environment research papers on academia. The environmental impact of oil spills has been extensively researched over the past 30 years and a considerable amount has been learnt about the nature and duration of such effects. Successful oil spill response is based on science, intelligence, experience, and standard techniques and protocols to allow for. A gis approach to mapping oil spills in a marine environment. An oil well owned by a pemex a mexican oil company malformed leading to spillage of oil of almost 30,000 barrels. Assessment of marine oil spill risk and environmental vulnerability for the state of alaska final report, september 2014 pdf, 3 pages. This has both shortterm and longterm effects on all parts of the marine food web, including longterm damage to breeding and. This dissertation is study of the impact of oil spills in the marine environment of the. An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution.
The equipment used to respond to an oil spill is stored and maintained at maritime new zealands marine pollution response service warehouse in te atatu, auckland. How oil harms animals and plants in marine environments. Oil spill response requires significant amounts of robust information to allow decision makers and responders to do the best job possible. Best available techniques for oil spill containment and cleanup in the mediterranean sea f. Oil pollution and international marine environmental law. The deepwater horizon oil spill has contaminated parts of the gulf of mexico and estuaries in several coastal states in the southern region of the us. Oil spills can seriously affect the marine environment both as a result of physical smothering and toxic effects. Complex processes of oil transformation in the marine environment start developing from the first seconds of oil s contact with seawater. Inputs, fates, and effects roger revelle commemorative lecture standing committee on environmental science and assessment for ocean energy management emerging technologies to advance research and decisions on the environmental health effects of microplastics. Transportation research board and national research council. Impacts and management of oil spill pollution along the. In addition, between 1997 and 2001, nigeria also recorded a total number of 2,097 oil spill incidents. This book introduces the reader to these problems and reflects the levels and trends of development in the field. When oil is spilled into an aquatic environment, it can harm organisms that live on, around, and under the water surface by both chemical toxicity and by coating and smothering wildlife.
Oil contamination may persist in the marine environment for many years after an oil spill and, in exceptional cases such as salt marshes and mangrove swamps, the effects may be measurable for decades after the event. Other key factors are the biological composition of the affected. Background and governance congressional research service summary oil is a primary source of energy in the united states. Longterm environmental impact of oil spills sciencedirect. It was established that the mechanical method of response using oil booms and skimmers is the best method as this removes the oil completely from the marine environment. Domestic oil production has increased in recent years, and vast quantities of oil continually enter the country via vessel or pipeline, moving throughout the country to various destinations. Apr 10, 2020 state of the art satellite and airborne marine oil spill remote sensing. National marine oil spill contingency plan march 2017. In addition to the usual toxic effects on marine life and shore damage, oil spills threaten the desalination plants that provide the fresh water supply for the gulf. Bottlenose dolphin with oil adhered to the head, july 2010. Chapter five discusses in greater detail how oil spills. The most effective instruments in the marine environment protection are regional treaties.
The marine environment, marine living resources and marine biodiversity international environmental law. In addition to the usual toxic effects on marine life and shore damage, oil spills threaten the desalination plants. On scene coordinator report deepwater horizon oil spill. The worst oil spill caused by offshore oil drilling happened in the mexican gulf. Pdf oil spills in the marine environment can have wide spread impact and long term consequences on wildlife, fisheries, coastal and marine habitats. Alaska oil spill risk analysis, november 2014 pdf, 2 pages. Ultimately, the impact of oil on marine organisms depends on the fate of the oil.
For instance, oil spills can have a major impact on the temporary animal and fish loss of habitat. Oil spill monitoring australian maritime safety authority. Long term impacts of oil spills on the marine environment. However, this method cannot be applied for all oil spills. State of the art satellite and airborne marine oil spill remote sensing.
The oil spill contaminated prime marine mammal habitat in the estuarine, nearshore, and offshore waters of the northern gulf of mexico. Deepwater horizon oil spill and safety testing of marine environment author. Arctic marine environment view report 20 evaluating the effectiveness of fish stock rebuilding plans in. Feb 25, 2019 in general, oil spills can affect animals and plants in two ways. The sea grant oil spill science outreach team identifies the. Impact of oil spills on marine organisms ultimately, the impact of oil on marine organisms depends on the fate of the oil. In 1998, 40,000 barrels of oil from mobil platform off the akwa ibom coast were spilt into the environment causing severe damage to the coastal environment. Protection of the marine environment of the north east atlantic. The marine ecosystem is a highly complex environment and natural fluctuations in. As previously described, when oil is present in the environment, it is either dispersed in the top layer of the water littoral zone or remains on the surface and, consequently, on.
The residence time of oil in a marine environment is a function of spill release, local hydrodynamic regime, and degradationremoval processes. This book introduces the reader to these problems and reflects the. Oil leaks from oil transport pipes, boats, and oil wells. The techniques of combating any kind of oil spill in a marine environment have been studied. Causes and effects of oil spill on our environment earth. Oil enters freshwater and marine ecosystems around the globe daily because of natural leaks and accidental oil spills. Similarly, the lempertkeeneseastrand oil spill prevention and response ospr act of 1991 established the oil spill response program in california and directed the administrator of ospr to develop a research program designed to examine the effects of oil and oil spill response technologies on the environment. This caused a catastrophe to marine life in the area of around 704,000 acres.
The oil spill impacted the marine environment and the lives of so many along the gulf of mexico. In some cases, nonpetroleum oil spills can produce more harmful effects than petroleum oil spills. Pdf oil spills in the australian marine environment. As a result, our predictive capability is probably better for oil spills than for many other types of marine pollutant. Long term impacts of oil spills on the marine environment interspill.
Gomri is led by an independent and academic 20member research board. More buoyant oil traveled up through about a mile of water column and formed large surface slicks. Oil spills can seriously affect the marine environment both as a result of physical smothering. Pdf fate of spilled oil in the marine environment researchgate. So far, understanding of marine environments, of oil and its behaviour when released onto the water surface, and of the methods and means of response to an oil spill, has been rather limited. Depending on the magnitude of the spill and its location, the effects can vary, ranging from minimal to serious ones.
Guidi2 1department of technical physics, sapienza university of rome, italy 2enea, department of fusion and nuclear technologies, italy abstract an oil spill is the accidental or intentional release of petroleum products into the. Assessing the impact of oil spills on marine organisms longdom. Causes, consequences, prevention, and countermeasures. The marine environment of the united arab emirates along the arabian gulf and the gulf of oman is subjected to increasing quantities of oil which may cause human health problems sindermann, 1978. When an oil spill occurs, many elements of the environment may be affected.
Oil spill response strategies for coastal marshes during the deepwater horizon mc 252 spill. Marine and coastal wildlife exposed to oil suffer both. Analyzing risk to improve oil spill planning and response. For example, they can pollute the marine environment, affect fish survival, destroy the ecological balance of the marine ecosystem and harm. Some of the biggest and most publicized spills include the 1989 exxon valdez oil spill, the 1979 ixtoc i spill, the 1991 arabian gulf spill, and the 2010 deepwater. Summary of information concerning the ecological and. Recovery rates vary drastically depending upon characteristics of the spill, cleanup, habitat, and species. Weathering of oil spilled in the marine environment. Its purpose is to promote a planned and nationally coordinated response to any marine oil spill that is beyond the resources of. Best available techniques for oil spill containment and. The mitigation effort to secure the well source was a threemonth process 87 days, and the resulting spill response effort became extraordinarily large and complex.
1453 408 264 916 560 618 814 1359 1581 1355 832 1494 1131 223 216 443 437 905 86 381 864 1472 1406 65 86 874 655 1102 1258 725 716 1336 682 1 1318 111 1084 432 913 547 25 1178 246 228 1314 243