On July 6 2000, there was an oil spill off South Africa's coast. A ship carrying 14,000 tonnes of oil sank and that resulted in conservationists having to airlift 18,000 penguins out of the 55,000 African penguins living on Dassen Island off Cape Town.
Oil spills are dangerous for penguins and other marine life. If you read the news recently, there was an oil spill on 3 April 2010 near the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The picture below contains some information about this spill.
conservationists are people who try to protect animals.
To airlift something is to transport people, animals or supplies by aeroplane, especially in an emergency.
Especially for the P5 girls doing e-learning:
Do you know what effects oil spills have on marine life?
Find out on the Internet and post your answer!
37 comments:
People should be more careful!
the sea birds will get covered in oil and they will not be able to move,and fishes will swallow the water will also die.
Vaishu
i would like to help them but i cant i will try not to harm them from sherry
I felt bad for the penguin....... and I hope they can clean the South Africa's coast so that the penguin can live a normal life again.....
Oil affects wildlife by coating their bodies with a thick layer. Many oils also become stickier over time (this is called weathering) and so adheres to wildlife even more. Since most oil floats o nthe surface of the water it can effect many marine animals and sea birds. Unfortunately, birds and marine mammals will not necessarily avoid an oil spill. Some marine mammals, such as seals and dolphins, have been seen swimming and feeding in or near an oil spill. Some fish are attracted to oil because it looks like floating food. This endangers sea birds, which are attracted to schools of fish and may dive through oil slicks to get to the fish.
Oil that sticks to fur or feathers, usually crude and bunker fuels, can cause many problems.
One example of the problems are:
hypothermia in birds by reducing or destroying the insulation and waterproofing properties of their feathers;
Desiree
Oil spills affect marine life by suffocating plants and animals. Clams, mussels, and oysters may quickly gather toxins which can kill the animals or be passed on along the food chain. Oil spills can also affect marine life by interfering with the ability to breed, reproduce, grow, or perform other vital functions.
Julia Angel
5 Hope
(Source:http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-oil-spills-affect-marine-life.htm)
i think the sailor in the ship should take responsibility as poor animals are dying from all this selfish incidents by us humans.
Information below are from this wedsite:
Effects of oil spills on marine life?
- Hypothermia and drowning of birds as the oil breaks down the insulating capabilities of feathers, makes them heavier and compromises flying ability
- Hypothermia in some seal pups as the oil destroys insulating fur
- If oil is ingested, it can either poison the animal outright, make them extremely sick or create a level of toxins in their system that then causes poisoning further up the food chain. Birds and other animals often ingest oil when trying to clean themselves. Shellfish and corals are particularly at risk in these scenarios as they cannot escape from an oil slick.
- Damage to the airways of birds and animals.
- Damage to animal immune systems
- Interruption of breeding and fouling of breeding grounds
- Thinner bird and turtle egg shells and also damage to fish larvae, causing deformities
- Damage to sea grass beds and other shelter/feeding areas
- Tainting of algae, which perform a vital role in waterway ecosystems
Even once the oil appears to have dissipated, it can still lurk beneath the surface of beaches and the sea bed, severely affecting marine organisms that burrow, such as crabs, for literally decades. These burrowing creatures are also food for other animals, so the cycle of poisoning continues for many years.
There's really no aspect of a marine environment that is not in some way adversely affected by an oil spill. The closer the spill occurs to the shoreline, the more pronounced the damage will be. This due to coastal zones being home to more concentrated and diverse populations of marine, bird and animal life than far out to sea.
Li si yang
P5 Faith
The information is too long to type, so the link is
http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-oil-spills-affect-marine-life.htm
~Danna~
We must not pollute the oceans because it is home to marine creatures.
Because of the oil spills, birds die because their feathers stick together preventing them from moving or flying, fish also die of the oil poisoning and other marine mammals may also die from movement impairment for being glued to rocks. It can also harm humans.
Oil spills can have serious effects on marine life, as highlighted by the photos of dead birds which regularly appear in the news after such an event. Such images fuel the perception of widespread and permanent environmental damage after every spill, and an inevitable loss of marine resources with serious economic repercussions.
http://www.itopf.com/marine-spills/effects/
Julissa,
P5Hope
The penguins are all spilt with oil they are so dirty and the water are mix with oil
I felt that ships which carries oil should be more careful next time. They should be aware of the marine animals that lived in the sea. Soem of the effects of an oil spill to the Marina animals are: * hypothermia in birds by reducing or destroying the insulation and waterproofing properties of their feathers;
* hypothermia in fur seal pups by reducing or destroying the insulation of their woolly fur (called lanugo). Adult fur seals have blubber and would not suffer from hypothermia if oiled. Dolphins and whales do not have fur, so oil will not easily stick to them;
* birds become easy prey, as their feathers being matted by oil make them less able to fly away;
* marine mammals such as fur seals become easy prey if oil sticks their flippers to their bodies, making it hard for them to escape predators;
* birds sink or drown because oiled feathers weigh more and their sticky feathers cannot trap enough air between them to keep them buoyant;
* fur seal pups drown if oil sticks their flippers to their bodiesk
* marine mammals lose body weight when they can not feed due to contamination of their environment by oil;
* birds become dehydrated and can starve as they give up or reduce drinking, diving and swimming to look for food;
* inflammation or infection in dugongs and difficulty eating due to oil sticking to the sensory hairs around their mouths;
* disguise of scent that seal pups and mothers rely on to identify each other, leading to rejection, abandonment and starvation of seal pups; and
* damage to the insides of animals and birds bodies, for example by causing ulcers or bleeding in their stomachs if they ingest the oil by accident.
By: Vanessa of 5 Charity
Marine plant will be covered with oil which prevents oxygen and water exchange, causing the plants to die.The animals which feed on plants will probably starve. A bird weighed down by oil may have difficulty flying.
From,
Kyla
5 Hope
I am very worried for the marine life because old spills can destroy their lives.
Marine plants will be covered with oil which wil prevent gas exchange causing the plants to die. The marine animals' coatings will be covered with oil tzhat can evetually kill them through suffocation.
I feel sorry for the marine animals.
By: Inka 5 Charity
When oil is spilled, most of the volatile compounds evaporate quickly. The oil, however, remains floating on the surface of the water, and starts to disperse, forming a very thin film which can cover large areas of water. Oil spills affect marine life which live, hunt, or travel in the area covered with oil. Different types of marine life are impacted differently, depending on their physiology and habits. The compounds left behind after the volatile compounds play a large part in why oil spills affect marine life, since many of them are toxic, dense, and bioaccumulative.
One of the most direct ways in which oil spills affect marine life is by essentially suffocating plants and animals. Marine plants can be covered in a film of oil which prevents oxygen and water exchange, causing the plants to die. Marine life which feed on this vegetation will in turn struggle to survive. Coatings of oil on the flesh of birds and mammals can literally kill them through suffocation. Oil spills also affect marine life such as birds by stripping the water resistant coating from their feathers. A bird weighed down by oil may have difficulty flying, and will develop hypothermia as a result of exposure to extremely cold water. Mammals also suffer, as oil can remove water resistant compounds from the coats of furred marine life like otters and seals.
Oil spills affect marine life like filter feeders by concentrating in the flesh of these animals. Clams, mussels, and oysters may quickly accumulate toxins which can kill the animals or be passed on along the food chain. Human consumers often complain that shellfish harvested from an area impact by an oil spill taste heavy and oily. Animals that rely on these filter feeders for food may become sick and die as a result of consuming them. When oil spills affect marine life, it usually happens at multiple levels of the food chain, representing a lot of work to fix the problem.
The inhalation and ingestion of compounds related to oil spills can also harm marine life, both in the long and short term. In the long term, oil spills affect marine life by interfering with the ability to breed, reproduce, grow, or perform other vital functions. Toxins in oil can also cause cancers and other illnesses in the long term. If left untreated, the area around an oil spill can be denuded of life. Fortunately, there are ways to clean up oil spills. In addition to chemicals, ecologists also use bacteria which thrive on the compounds in oil to digest it and render it less harmful. BY: Katheriene lim (P5Joy)
Oil spills can cause marine life such as plants and animals,to suffocate or not breathe properly.This happens because the oil layer does not allow oxygen to pass through to the ocean.Marine life cannot receive dissolved oxygen and in the end,they will suffocate.
If oil is ingested, it can either poison the animal outright, make them extremely sick or create a level of toxins in their system that then causes poisoning further up the food chain. Birds and other animals often ingest oil when trying to clean themselves. Shellfish and corals are particularly at risk in these scenarios as they cannot escape from an oil slick.
Oil spills that occur near a coastline, cause more harm than the oil spills that occur into the open sea because marine life habitat is usually more dense in the areas near the coastline than in the middle of the ocean. Oil spills can occur due to various reasons like, careless handling of the oil pipelines spread under the seas, through which the oil is transported to various countries. Also, any sort of accidental or natural disaster leading to damage of the oil storing tankers, barges, pipelines, refineries, etc., can cause oil spills. The oil spill effects on the marine life is decided by the type of oil spilled, location of the oil spilled and the breeding season of the habitat in that area. The main problem with oil is that once it spills, it spreads far and wide in the ocean, thereby increasing the damage. When the marine animals consume the oil spilled in the water, the oil gets into their body and many die due to suffocation and poisonous effects of the oil.
It can have serious effect on the marine animals.
they are pitiful
The Story is intersting
by parisa 5joy
When oil is spilled in waterways, it spreads very quickly with the help of wind and currents. It took only hours for the SF spill to spread 40 miles.
When oil starts mixing in water, it can change composition and becomes what's known as "mousse". This is a sticky substance that clings even more to whatever it comes in contact with. Many marine animals don't know to avoid a slick and some fish may even be attracted to it as it can resemble food.
thank u
One of the most direct ways in which oil spills affect marine life is by essentially suffocating plants and animals.
Yee Mon Theint
P-5Faith
One way in which oil spills affect marine life is by essentially suffocating plants and animals.
I am very worried for the marine life because oil spills can destroyed their lives.
One of the most direct ways in which oil spills affect marine life is by essentially suffocating plants and animals.
Yee Mon Theint
P-5 Faith
When a spill occurs, oil rapidly spreads in the water thanks to currents and the wind. As it spreads, oil mixes with water and becomes sticky, clinging to helpless marine life unable to avoid its deadly pursuit.
The environmental effects can have serious consequences for many marine populations. Oil can cause hypothermia and drowning of birds as the oil breaks down the insulating capabilities of their feathers, makes them heavier and compromises their flying ability. It can also cause hypothermia in seal pups and otters as the oil destroys their insulating fur.
What's more, birds and other animals often ingest oil when trying to clean themselves which can poison them and create toxins in their immune systems. Birds that dive under water to catch food are most vulnerable to spilled oil since they spend most of their time sitting on the water between dives.
In the Great Lakes, and in the shore waters of the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, loons, grebes, and diving ducks such as long-tailed ducks, mergansers, and eiders are most affected by oil spills. Dabbling ducks including the American black ducks and mallards are often victims of oil spilled into the shallow coastal and inland waters of their habitats.
Seabirds including puffins, shearwaters, razorbills, murres, and dovekies are frequently affected by offshore oil spills. These birds live mainly on open water, however; they can also become oiled in coastal waters since they come to coastal islands to breed.
Oil spills can have more devastating effects on some bird populations than on others. Birds that lay several eggs are more likely to recover from deaths caused by oil spills than those that lay fewer eggs.
The bottom line: the closer the spill occurs to the shoreline, the greater the ecological damage since coastal areas are home to more concentrated and diverse populations of marine life than at sea.
Spills can also severely harm turtle eggs and damage fish larvae, causing deformities. Shellfish and corals are particularly at risk since they can't escape the runaway slick. Oil spills are also responsible for tainting algae, which perform a vital role in waterway ecosystems.
If a spill isn't contained quickly, oil can lie beneath the surface of beaches and the sea, severely affecting marine organisms that burrow, such as crabs, for decades. Since these burrowing creatures are a food source for other animals, the cycle of poisoning can continue for many years.
Coatings of oil on the flesh of birds and mammals can literally kill them through suffocation. Oil spills also affect marine life such as birds by stripping the water resistant coating from their feathers. A bird weighed down by oil may have difficulty flying, and will develop hypothermia as a result of exposure to extremely cold water.
I really pity those penguins! Those people are so cruel! Oil spills may kill marine life and may cause even more serious effects.
Oil spill have many negative effects on marine life. One example is the rate of turtles hatching is decreasing, an ocean highway used by loggerhead turtles, dolphins and endangered species such as the pygmy blue whale are also effected.
Crude oils and heavy fuel oils like bunker fuels tend to be less toxic but are more persistent and more likely to have physical impacts on wildlife e.g coating feather, fur and skin.
In conclusion, I feel that oil spills have to be prevented in order to minimize damage done to marine life.
Spilled oil poses serious threats to fresh water and marine environments, affecting surface resources and a wide range of subsurface organisms that are linked in a complex food chain that includes human food resources. Spilled oil can harm the environment in several ways, including the physical damages that directly impact wildlife and their habitats (such as coating birds or mammals with a layer of oil), and the toxicity of the oil itself, which can poison exposed organisms. The severity of an oil spill's impact depends on a variety of factors, including the physical properties of the oil, whether petroleum-based oils or non petroleum-based oils, and the natural actions of the receiving waters on the oil.
i think that people should not spill the oill into the ocean and many living things will be killed
I Think its very poor for the marine animals as because they are pitiful and the oil will spread and i think its very 0% ban for the enviroment. The marine annimals might DIE
Wish not too many fishes were harmed.Anyways,shouldn't the oil tank be locked properly and shoudn't the ship be in good condition when carrying such objects?!?!
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