Leaking oil wells lead to environmental exposure.
In the ocean, the smallest plants and creatures can have the greatest impact. When oil contamination affects plants on the microscopic level, animals and entire ecosystems are placed at risk. Nature has its own safeguards against oil contamination, but these processes are designed to work slowly over time. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico dumped an estimated 80,000 barrels of oil into the water each day. Scientists closely monitored the long-term effects of this spill on both marine plants and animals in the Gulf.
Natural Sources
The largest source of oil in the water is natural seepage from beneath the seafloor. The Air and Waste Management Association estimates that as much as 1.5 million barrels of oil a year can be attributed to natural seeps in the ocean. Through a process called bio-remediation, natural chemical processes and tiny organisms break down the oil slowly over time.
Increased Drilling
Offshore oil drilling has reached depths of 3,500 meters or more, opening more than 40 percent of the world's oceans for potential deep-water drilling. An extensive study conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration places oil and gas drilling very high among the potential dangers to marine ecosystems. It is second only to excessive fishing and trawling of the seafloor.
Oxygen Depletion
The 2010 pipeline spill in the Gulf of Mexico formed enormous plumes of oil and gas beneath the water's surface. Scientists measure one of the largest plumes at 10 miles long, three miles wide and 300 feet thick. An MSNBC article reports on the true impact these oil plumes are having on the marine ecosystem. The greatest danger from these towering plumes is their effects on oxygen levels in the water. A spokesman from the National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology forecast the possibility of large "dead zones" where the oxygen levels fall too low to support marine life.
Altered Underwater Conditions
OIl drilling affects the living conditions of water plants and the animals that depend on them for survival. A NOAA study points out that cutting fluids and drilling mud can be toxic to coral reef systems. According to the agency, drilling wastes pose an even greater danger to the less resistant deep-sea communities. The additional sand from the drilling process can also alter currents and disturb the flow of nutrients essential to water flora.
Effects on the Food Chain
The Air and Waste Management Association reports that oil interferes with the germination and growth of marine plants. Tiny plants such as kelp and phytoplankton are the basic units of the marine food chain. When floating oil slicks contaminate these plants, they have a catastrophic effect on the food chain. The toxins from the oil are passed along to the fish that feed on the marine plants. The process continues exponentially and can cause serious disturbances in the world food market.
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