Fish and Oil Spills

Seven years ago on April 20^th, Deepwater Horizon oil well drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico exploded. Spilling four millions barrels of oil into the water. This oil spill lasted over an 87 day period. The oil spill was finally capped on July 15, 2010. Killing and damaging millions of wildlife and fish species throughout the Gulf of Mexico and United States. This oil spill was considered to be one of the worst environmental oil spills in the United States history. Damaging and destroying entire habitats for wildlife and fish species all over. On December 15, 2010, the United States of America filed a complaint against BP Exploration and Production along with several other defendants who were responsible for the spill. Oil spills have a huge impact on everything from habitats lost to the effects on many different fish species.

Figure 1 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill May 20, 2010

The oil that was used in the Deepwater Horizon spill was considered to be a light crude oil. Light crude oil is considered to be moderately volatile. Light crude is also considered to be extremely toxic. Killing any wildlife and plants it comes into contact. This type of crude oil can leave a residue for up to one - third of the amount spilled after a couple of days. Light crude oil has the potential to cause long – term contaminations in the ocean. This type of light crude oil, causes harm to wildlife through physical contact, ingestion, and absorption.

Habitat is extremely important to wildlife and fish species throughout the United States. Even the habitat for humans is important just like wildlife. Oil spills have an effect on both wildlife and humans habitats. For wildlife and fish species, their habitat has more of an impact on the oil spill than humans. Oil will contaminate algae, larvae of invertebrates, and fish eggs all located in the water. For instance, fish will become contaminated through the consumption of contaminated prey. The prey is contaminated by directly coming into contact with the oil from the spill. Another example, this time for humans, humans will fish and catch many large contaminated fish from the food chain. They will than eat the fish they caught, becoming contaminated from the fish. Oil has been detected in sediment 30 years later after a massive oil spill. This even includes the sandy beaches that humans use. Oil will sink deep into the sand and stay there for many years. Oil will even descend deep into the muddy bottoms of flat and salt marshes in the ocean. With oil staying deep in the sediment, the oil has a long – term impact on both the fish and wildlife populations in the water. In order to minimize the impact on both wildlife and fish habitat, cleanup work continues for many years after the spill has happened. Damage assessments of the habitat are conducted in order to find ways that will minimize this long – term effects on both old and new generations of wildlife and fish species.

Figure 2 Habitat with an oil spill

Several wildlife species have a hard time dealing with the oil spill in the water. Many birds are harmed and killed in great numbers due to the impact of oil in the water. The oil that is spilled will float on top of the water causing many birds to come into contact with it. For example, brown pelicans are the most likely to be exposed to the oil since, they float on the water surface. When a bird comes into contact with oil, the bird will start to lose their ability to fly, dive for food, and/or float on the water. Losing their ability to float on the water, will cause them to drown. Oil will also interfere with the bird’s water repellency of the feathers. Without this water repellent, hypothermia will set in with the right conditions. Birds can ingest and inhale the oil that is on their bodies through grooming. Ingesting and inhaling oil can kill animals immediately. However, it does result in lung, liver, and kidney damage that can lead to death. When an oily bird sits on the nest, the eggs will become damaged and/or may not hatch. When oil is ingested by mammals, they show signs of suppressed immune system, organ damage, behavioral changes, and skin irritation. Damage to the mammal’s immune system can possibly lead to secondary infections. Behavioral changes affect the mammal’s ability to find food and avoid predators.

Figure 3 Pelican covered in oil

Marine animals have the greatest impact from the oil in the water. Two very important sea turtle, the loggerhead and leatherback turtles are the most impacted turtle species from the oil spill. They are impacted by the oil as they swim to the shore in order to nest. The oil could contaminate the shore in which the loggerhead and leatherback nests are located at. Damaging the eggs from both types of sea turtle species. Fish are impacted directly through the taking of water by the gills. Fish also get contaminated from the digestion of oiled prey. Oil spills affect fish eggs and larval survival rate. This biggest impact is the change in the ecosystem that helps support the many different fish species in the ocean.

Figure 4 Scientists studying the impact of oil on fish

Today, scientists are still studying the impact of oil spills in the ocean. This is an ongoing research study on fish. Although the Deepwater Horizon oil spill took place seven years ago, there are still huge impacts on the wildlife and fish species. Scientists at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida are conducting research on fish species from the ocean. These scientists are raising adult fish and exposing them to oil, just like the oil spills in the ocean that happen in today’s world. This research is to find out how different species are affected by this.

No matter how big the oil spill will be, it will have some type of impact. Oil spills have a huge impact on everything from habitat lost to the effects on many different marine species. We could have another Deepwater Horizon explosion happen at any time. Could we handle another 4 million barrels of oil in the ocean? What will this study show scientists about fish and oil spills? Will this research help with future cleanup efforts?

Literature Cited:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]. 2017. How oil harms animals 

            and plants in marine environments. <http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oil-and-

           chemical-spills/oil-spills/how-oil-harms-animals-and-plants-marine-environments.

           html>. Accessed 17 Apr 2017.

United States Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]. 2017. Deepwater horizon – BP gulf of

Mexico oil spill. < https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/deepwater-horizon-bp-gulf-

mexico-oil-spill>. Accessed 17 Apr 2017.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS]. 2010. Effects of oil on wildlife and habitat.

<https://www.fws.gov/home/dhoilspill/pdfs/dhjicfwsoilimpactswildlifefactsheet.pdf>. Accessed 17 Apr 2017.

WBUR. 2017. In Florida, scientists raise fish to test impacts of oil spills.

<http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2017/04/17/scientists-fish-oil-spills>. Accessed 17 2017

Imagine Cited:

Figure 1: National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration:

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2012/20121203_dwh.html

Figure 2: National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration:

http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/potential-impacts-oil-spill-sea-turtles-infographic_noaa_2500.jpg

Figure 3: National Wildlife Federation:

http://blog.nwf.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/11/files/2014/05/Louisiana-gov-office_oiled-pelican_crop.jpg

Figure 4: WBUR:

http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2017/04/17/scientists-fish-oil-spills