Vivian+Form

What is an oil spill? (Vivian)

Key Sentances:

1. An **oil spill** is a release of a [|liquid] [|petroleum] [|hydrocarbon] into the environment due to human activity, and is a form of [|pollution]. [] 2. Oil spills include releases of [|crude oil] from [|tankers], [|offshore platforms], [|drilling rigs] and [|wells], as well as spills of [|refined petroleum products] (such as [|gasoline], [|diesel]) and their by-products, and heavier fuels used by large [|ships] such as [|bunker fuel], or the spill of any oily white substance refuse or [|waste oil]. [] 3. leakage of [|petroleum] onto the surface of a large body of water. []

4. an accidental release of oil into a body of water, as from a tanker, offshore drilling rig, or underwater pipeline, often presenting a hazard to marine life and the environment. [] 5. find other animals dying one by  one because the oil is damaging their bodies. This is the way some animals must die in the ocean. They die because of an oil spill occurring in their habitat. []
 * **6.**  **What affects do oil spills have on animals?**

Birds die from oil spills if their feathers are covered in oil. The bird will then be poisoned because it will try

to clean itself. Animals may die because they get hypothermia, causing their body temperature to be really

low. They may die from really low body temperature. Oil may also cause the death of an animal by entering

the animal’s lungs or liver. The animal will then be poisoned by the oil. Oil also can kill an animal by

blinding it. The animal will not be able to see and be aware of their predators. If they are not aware of

other animals, they may be eaten. || Visit the website below to watch an amazing video on how millions of penguins were injured in an oil spill! This website is one you need to visit! @http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/animals/newsid_1620000/1620001.stm ||

Oil spills sometimes are the reason for animals becoming endangered. This means that a certain type of

animal is getting so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct.

**Sea Birds**

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Seabirds are strongly affected by oil spills. A seabird may get covered in the oil. The thick black oil is too

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">heavy for the birds to fly, so they attempt to clean themselves. The bird then eats the oil to clean its

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">feathers and poisons itself. If workers have found sea birds that are not dead because of oil, they will take

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">the birds to a cleaning center or captivity where they are kept in a facility because they can not live in the

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">wild on their own. Animals that are in captivity because of an oil spill will be cleaned by professionals and

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">volunteers. When a bird is in captivity, the oil will be flushed from its eyes, intestines, and feathers. The

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">bird will be examined for any more injuries like broken bones, and it will take a medicine to prevent any

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">more damage.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">After the bird seems healthier, it will take a test on its abilities to float in the water and keep water away

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">from its body. As soon as the bird passes its test, it will soon be let out into the wild.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;">**Sea Otters**

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Sea otters are affected by oil in many ways. The otters’ bodies may get covered in oil, which

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">causes build up in the otters’ air bubbles. These air bubbles are located in their fur and help

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">them survive the cold oceans. They act like a covering for their body and help the otters to

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">float. When oil builds up in the air bubbles, the otters may die of low body temperature. Many

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">sea otters are being placed in captivity after an oil spill until the otters are cleaned and ready to live in the

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">ocean again.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">**Killer Whales**

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Oil spills are one of the many ways killer whales have become endangered. The oil may be eaten or enter

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">the whale’s blowhole. A blowhole is a hole to help them breath. Whales will

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">rise up over the water to take a breath. If the blowhole is plugged with oil,

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">the whale can not breathe. The main reason for whales dying because of a

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">spill happens when they eat a fish that swam through the oil. If a fish

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">swam through the oil, the whale will eat the oil along with the fish.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Because the whale has eaten the oil, it will be poisoned, and it will die.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">**Small Organisms**

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Many people don’t realize all the animals in the ocean that oil spills affect. Plankton, larval fish, and bottom

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">dwelling organisms are strongly affected. Even seaweed, clams, oysters, and mussels can be affected by oil

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">spills. Only off- shore accidents can really cause the death of these small living creatures because this is

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">mainly the home for these small organisms.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">When hundreds of plankton die because of oil, that specie of animal may become extinct. Then, fish won’t

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">be able to eat the plankton, so they will become extinct. A killer whale could then become extinct because

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">it can’t eat the fish.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">This is what happens when a specie from animal becomes extinct of a large oil spill. The oil spills can

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">damage the entire food chain in the area. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;"> []

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> **7. Helping and Saving the Sea Life Today**

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Have you ever stopped to think what you use oil for? Every one uses oil a lot. The whole world uses nearly

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">three billion gallons of oil every day. We all use it to fuel our cars, trucks, buses, and even to heat our

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">homes. If you have touched a chain on a bicycle, you have touched some oil. The black stuff that appears

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">on your fingers is an oil that makes the chains on your bike run smoothly. We use oil to make asphalt

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">which can help us pave our roads. You can get examples of oil at a toy store, a hardware store, or a

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">drugstore, because oil is made into plastics, which could be any of your toys or CD players. Oil is also used

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">in medicines, ink, paints, and to create some electricity. We all can help stop oil spills happening in the

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">oceans. If you use less oil, then less will have to be transported. We can use less oil by not using our cars

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">when we can walk or ride a bike. We also can use less oil by paving the roads with cement. That way we

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">are not using oil.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Think about how many lights you have in your house. Also think about all the electronics like computers or

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">televisions. All of these things use electricity. If we all were to turn off lights, computers, or televisions

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">when not in use, we wouldn’t be using as mush oil to create the electricity throughout the house. 8. Oil also enters the marine environment from natural [|oil seeps].[|[][|2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_spill] Public attention and regulation has tended to focus most sharply on seagoing oil tankers []

** oil spill ****,** leakage of [|petroleum] onto the surface of a large body of water. Oceanic oil spills became a major environmental problem in the 1960s, chiefly as a result of intensified [|petroleum exploration and production] on [|continental shelves] and the use of  [|supertankers] capable of transporting more than 500,000 tons of oil. Spectacular oil spills from wrecked or damaged supertankers are now rare, because of stringent shipping and environmental regulations. <span class="IL_AD">Nevertheless, thousands of minor and <span class="IL_AD">several major oil spills related to well discharges and tanker operations are reported each year, with the total quantity of oil released annually into the world’s ... (100 of 1911 words) [] 9. <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> **How do they clean animals after a spill?** <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> **Birds**

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> There are many ways that animals are cleaned after an oil spill. When birds arrive at the cleaning center,

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> the oil is flushed from the eyes and the intestines. They will also be examined for any broken bones, cuts,

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> or any other injuries. Next, they will get a stomach-coating medicine to prevent any more oil from entering

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> birds’ stomachs. Birds will then be warmed and placed in a quiet area.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Birds need to eat so they have some nutrition while they are recovering. Some animals might eat off a pan.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Others may be forced to eat by a worker before they can feed themselves.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">When a bird appears to be normal, it is allowed to swim. The bird will then trim and clean its own feathers

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">to bring them back to their normal body structure. This will help the bird swim again. Next, the bird will

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">have to pass a waterproof test. If the bird passes, it will slowly be introduced to the temperatures outside.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">In the test, the bird must show the ability to float and the ability to keep the water away from its body.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Before they let the bird go, they must check it to make sure that its muscular structure is average for its

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">species and the birds have no disease. Then the birds are released into the wild.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">**Sea Otters**

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">When sea otters are taken to a cleaning facility, the heavy oiled otters will be washed first. Workers will

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">wash the otters with warm water because they hope it will break down the oil. The warm water also can

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">warm the otters up. The otters also will get medical treatment while they are being cleaned. The otters will

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">then have to wait so they can dry.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> After their fur is dry, they have to stay a few more days so the workers are sure of no diseases or broken

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> bones. []

10.

an accidental release of oil into a body of water, as from a tanker, offshore drilling rig, or underwater pipeline, often presenting a hazard to marine life and the environment. []

11.

An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term often refers to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters. The oil may be a variety of materials, including crude oil, refined petroleum products (such as gasoline or diesel fuel) or by-products, ships' bunkers, oily refuse or oil mixed in waste. []

12. An oil spill is the accidental petroleum release into the environment. On land, oil spills are usually localized and thus their impact can be eliminated relatively easily. In contrast, marine oil spills may result in oil pollution over large areas and present serious environmental hazards. The primary source of accidental oil input into seas is associated with oil transportation by tankers and pipelines (about 70%), whereas the contribution of offshore drilling and production activities is minimal (less than 1%). Large and catastrophic spills releasing more than 30,000 tons of oil are relatively rare events and their frequency in recent decades has decreased perceptibly. Yet, such episodes have the potential to cause the most serious ecological risk (primarily for sea birds and mammals) and result in long-term environmental disturbances (mainly in [|coastal zones]) and economic impact on coastal activities (especially on [|fisheries] and mariculture). []

13. Oil spills occur when tankers release crude oil, also known as petroleum, into the ocean environment. Although accidental spills from oil tankers are highly publicized, they only account for approximately 20 percent of the oil that is released. The other 80 percent of oil from tankers is the result of their routine operations, such as emptying ballast tanks. Read more: [] []

14. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MARINE ECOSYSTEM WHEN THERE IS AN OIL SPILL?

Oil floats on salt water (the ocean) and usually floats on fresh water (rivers and lakes). Very heavy oil can sometimes sink in fresh water, but this happens very rarely. Oil usually spreads out rapidly across the water surface to form a thin layer that we call an oil slick. As the spreading process continues, the layer becomes thinner and thinner, finally becoming a very thin layer called a sheen, which often looks like a rainbow. (You may have seen sheens on roads or parking lots after a rain.) Depending on the circumstances, oil spills can be very harmful to marine birds and mammals, and also can harm fish and shellfish. You may have seen dramatic pictures of oiled birds and sea otters that have been affected by oil spills. Oil destroys the insulating ability of fur-bearing mammals, such as sea otters, and the water-repelling abilities of a bird's feathers, thus exposing these creatures to the harsh elements. Many birds and animals also ingest (swallow) oil when they try to clean themselves, which can poison them. Depending on just where and when a spill happens, from just a few up to hundreds or thousands of birds and mammals can be killed or injure

More info: <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">decide to stick your head out of the <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;"> water to take a breath. As you are taking a breath, you see a large stream of thick black <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">oil heading your way. You go back under water only to find other animals dying one by <span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">one because the oil is damaging their bodies. <span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">This is the way some animals must die in the ocean. They die because of an oil spill occurring in their <span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">habitat. <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;">**What’s an oil spill?**
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Imagine yourself as a killer whale. You are swimming around when you

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Oil spills happen when people make mistakes or are careless and cause an oil tanker to leak oil into the <span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">ocean. There are a few more ways an oil spill can occur. Equipment breaking down may cause an oil spill. If <span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">the equipment breaks down, the tanker may get stuck on shallow land. When they start to drive the tanker <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;"> again, they can put a hole in the tanker causing it to leak oil.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">When countries are at war, one country may decide to dump <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">gallons of oil into the other country’s oceans. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Terrorists may cause an oil spill because they will dump oil

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">into a country’s ocean. Many terrorists will do this because <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">they are trying to get the country’s attention, or they are <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">trying to make a point to a country. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Illegal dumpers are people that will dump crude oil into the <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">oceans because they do not want to spend money on <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">decomposing their waste oil. Because they won’t spend money on breaking up the oil (decomposing it) they <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">will dump oil into the oceans, which is illegal. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Natural disasters (like hurricanes) may cause an oil spill, too. If a hurricane was a couple of miles away, the <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">winds from the hurricane could cause the oil tanker to flip over, pouring oil out. <span style="background-color: #00ff00; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;">**What affects do oil spills have on animals?**

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Birds die from oil spills if their feathers are covered in oil. The bird will then be poisoned because it will try

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">to clean itself. Animals may die because they get hypothermia, causing their body temperature to be really

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">low. They may die from really low body temperature. Oil may also cause the death of an animal by entering

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">the animal’s lungs or liver. The animal will then be poisoned by the oil. Oil also can kill an animal by

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">blinding it. The animal will not be able to see and be aware of their predators. If they are not aware of

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">other animals, they may be eaten. || <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; text-align: center;">Visit the website below to watch an amazing video on how millions of penguins were injured in an oil spill! This website is one you need to visit! @http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/animals/newsid_1620000/1620001.stm ||

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Oil spills sometimes are the reason for animals becoming endangered. This means that a certain type of

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">animal is getting so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">**Sea Birds**

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Seabirds are strongly affected by oil spills. A seabird may get covered in the oil. The thick black oil is too

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">heavy for the birds to fly, so they attempt to clean themselves. The bird then eats the oil to clean its

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">feathers and poisons itself. If workers have found sea birds that are not dead because of oil, they will take

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">the birds to a cleaning center or captivity where they are kept in a facility because they can not live in the

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">wild on their own. Animals that are in captivity because of an oil spill will be cleaned by professionals and

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">volunteers. When a bird is in captivity, the oil will be flushed from its eyes, intestines, and feathers. The

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">bird will be examined for any more injuries like broken bones, and it will take a medicine to prevent any

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">more damage.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">After the bird seems healthier, it will take a test on its abilities to float in the water and keep water away

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">from its body. As soon as the bird passes its test, it will soon be let out into the wild.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;">**Sea Otters**

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Sea otters are affected by oil in many ways. The otters’ bodies may get covered in oil, which

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">causes build up in the otters’ air bubbles. These air bubbles are located in their fur and help

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">them survive the cold oceans. They act like a covering for their body and help the otters to

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">float. When oil builds up in the air bubbles, the otters may die of low body temperature. Many

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">sea otters are being placed in captivity after an oil spill until the otters are cleaned and ready to live in the

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">ocean again.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">**Killer Whales**

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Oil spills are one of the many ways killer whales have become endangered. The oil may be eaten or enter

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">the whale’s blowhole. A blowhole is a hole to help them breath. Whales will

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">rise up over the water to take a breath. If the blowhole is plugged with oil,

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">the whale can not breathe. The main reason for whales dying because of a

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">spill happens when they eat a fish that swam through the oil. If a fish

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">swam through the oil, the whale will eat the oil along with the fish.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Because the whale has eaten the oil, it will be poisoned, and it will die.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">**Small Organisms**

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Many people don’t realize all the animals in the ocean that oil spills affect. Plankton, larval fish, and bottom

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">dwelling organisms are strongly affected. Even seaweed, clams, oysters, and mussels can be affected by oil

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">spills. Only off- shore accidents can really cause the death of these small living creatures because this is

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">mainly the home for these small organisms.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">When hundreds of plankton die because of oil, that specie of animal may become extinct. Then, fish won’t

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">be able to eat the plankton, so they will become extinct. A killer whale could then become extinct because

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">it can’t eat the fish.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">This is what happens when a specie from animal becomes extinct of a large oil spill. The oil spills can

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">damage the entire food chain in the area.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;">**Were there any other major spills around the world?**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">There have been other major spills around the world. The table below gives you a few oil spills that have

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">occurred around the world. As you see, these oil spills have occurred in many different places. None of

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">them seem to be near each other. You can also see how of the largest spills occurred in the 90’s.The table

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">shows you that many spills have spilled over 10,000 tons of oil. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">There has recently been an oil spill on May 9, 2001 in the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Islands are
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">What Year? || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Where did it occur? || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">What tanker was it? || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">How much oil did it spill (in tons)? ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: right;">1983 || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">The Persian Gulf || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Nowruz Oil Field || <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: right;">600,000 ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: right;">1983 || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">South Africa || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Castillo De Belluer || <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: right;">250,000 ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: right;">1988 || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">The Monongahela River || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Storage Tank || <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: right;">3,800,000 ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: right;">1993 || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Off The Shetland Islands || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Braer || <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: right;">26,000,000 ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: right;">1996 || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Off SW Wales || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Sea Empress || <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: right;">18,000,000 ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: right;">2001 || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Galapagos Islands || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Jessica || <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: right;">240,000 ||

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">located off the coast of Ecuador. The tanker, Jessica, tipped over pouring 240,000 gallons of oil into the

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">ocean.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Workers used chemicals to break down the oil. If the oil is able to reach the bottom of the ocean, it might

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">take at least two years to clean. Sea lions, pelican, seagulls, sea urchins, and seaweed have been affected

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">by this spill. Workers used soap to clean the fur and feathers of hurt animals and milk for the animals’

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">heads because it wouldn’t hurt the animals’ eyes.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">A couple months after the Jessica oil spill, scientists are studying different things about the spill. Some

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">scientists are studying 650 different sites and seeing which sites were affected by the spill. They are trying

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">to find out where the oil impacted and the animals that were and weren’t affected so they can learn more

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">about the effects of oil spills.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;">**How do they clean up the oil on the beaches or the water after a spill?**

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;">There are many ways to stop the spread of oil in the ocean. Workers can place a boom around the tanker

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;">that is spilling oil. Booms collect the oil off the water. A boom may be placed somewhere before an oil spill.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;">They can be placed around an entrance to the ocean, like a stream. They also can be placed around a

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;">habitat with many animals living there. These booms will absorb any oil that flows around it.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">The workers can also use skimmers. Skimmers are boats that can remove the oil off the water. Sorbents

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">are sponges that can collect the oil. An airplane can fly over the water dropping chemicals into the ocean.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">The chemicals can break down the oil into the ocean.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">They also can burn freshly spilled oil with fireproof booms to contain the oil. They might not decide to burn

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">the oil because this method causes air pollution.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">There are just a few ways to clean the oil off the beaches.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Workers can use high or low pressure hoses to spray the oil

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">that is on the beaches. Vacuum trucks may be driven on the

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">beaches to vacuum up the oil. They can also simply use

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">shovels or road equipment to collect all the oil off the

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">beaches.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">The method they use to clean the beaches or oceans depends

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">on many things. They have to look at the weather, the type

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">and amount of oil spilled, if people live in that area, what types of animals live in that area, and many more

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">things. In some situations, they may not react to a spill. It may not be helpful or it would just cause even

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">more damage to that habitat.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> **How do they clean animals after a spill?** <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> **Birds**

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> There are many ways that animals are cleaned after an oil spill. When birds arrive at the cleaning center,

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> the oil is flushed from the eyes and the intestines. They will also be examined for any broken bones, cuts,

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> or any other injuries. Next, they will get a stomach-coating medicine to prevent any more oil from entering

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> birds’ stomachs. Birds will then be warmed and placed in a quiet area.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Birds need to eat so they have some nutrition while they are recovering. Some animals might eat off a pan.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Others may be forced to eat by a worker before they can feed themselves.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">When a bird appears to be normal, it is allowed to swim. The bird will then trim and clean its own feathers

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">to bring them back to their normal body structure. This will help the bird swim again. Next, the bird will

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">have to pass a waterproof test. If the bird passes, it will slowly be introduced to the temperatures outside.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">In the test, the bird must show the ability to float and the ability to keep the water away from its body.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Before they let the bird go, they must check it to make sure that its muscular structure is average for its

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">species and the birds have no disease. Then the birds are released into the wild.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">**Sea Otters**

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">When sea otters are taken to a cleaning facility, the heavy oiled otters will be washed first. Workers will

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">wash the otters with warm water because they hope it will break down the oil. The warm water also can

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">warm the otters up. The otters also will get medical treatment while they are being cleaned. The otters will

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">then have to wait so they can dry.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> After their fur is dry, they have to stay a few more days so the workers are sure of no diseases or broken

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> bones.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%; text-align: left;"> **Helping and Saving the Sea Life Today**

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Have you ever stopped to think what you use oil for? Every one uses oil a lot. The whole world uses nearly

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">three billion gallons of oil every day. We all use it to fuel our cars, trucks, buses, and even to heat our

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">homes. If you have touched a chain on a bicycle, you have touched some oil. The black stuff that appears

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">on your fingers is an oil that makes the chains on your bike run smoothly. We use oil to make asphalt

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">which can help us pave our roads. You can get examples of oil at a toy store, a hardware store, or a

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">drugstore, because oil is made into plastics, which could be any of your toys or CD players. Oil is also used

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">in medicines, ink, paints, and to create some electricity. We all can help stop oil spills happening in the

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">oceans. If you use less oil, then less will have to be transported. We can use less oil by not using our cars

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">when we can walk or ride a bike. We also can use less oil by paving the roads with cement. That way we

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">are not using oil.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Think about how many lights you have in your house. Also think about all the electronics like computers or

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">televisions. All of these things use electricity. If we all were to turn off lights, computers, or televisions

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">when not in use, we wouldn’t be using as mush oil to create the electricity throughout the house.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">There are many things being done to prevent more spills. The US Congress passed OPA (Ocean Pollution

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Act) 90 (in 1990). The OPA 90’s major laws are:
 * [[image:http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/_themes/spiral/spibul1a.gif width="15" height="15"]] || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Emergency Response Plans- This law says that the owners of the tanker must have a detailed plan on

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">what they will do if there was a spill. They must have this plan written before any spill. ||
 * [[image:http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/_themes/spiral/spibul1a.gif width="15" height="15"]] || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Double Hulls- The law says that all ships in the U.S are required to have a double hull by 2015. ||
 * [[image:http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/_themes/spiral/spibul1a.gif width="15" height="15"]] || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Liability- The law says that the owners of a boat that spills oil will have to pay $1,200 for every ton

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">they spill. ||
 * [[image:http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/_themes/spiral/spibul1a.gif width="15" height="15"]] || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Spill Fund-The law says that the government has money from companies that transport the oil so

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">when a spill occurs, the government can pay for the clean up. ||
 * [[image:http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/_themes/spiral/spibul1a.gif width="15" height="15"]] || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Navigation- The law says that the Coast Guard must know where the oil tankers can drive without an

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">oil spill occurring. || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">As you see, there are many things being done to prevent oil spills. If everyone around the world decided to use less oil, we would lower the risk of a

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">large spill. If there were a spill, we wouldn’t be dumping as much oil into the ocean, which would mean that there would be fewer animals killed or

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">injured. You can also help decrease oil spills by using less electricity and gasoline, which are both made with oil.



<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">**Bibliography**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Amber. "Sea Otter Rehabilitation." http://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/seward.elem/ocean/seaotter.html Last Visited: January, 2002.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Barid, Stuart. "Oil Spills." [] Last Visited: January, 2002.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">The Charles Darwin Foundation. "Technical Chronology of CDRS Actions." http://www.darwinfoundation.org/oilspill/oilspillmay9.html Last Visited:

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">January, 2002.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Christine Paetzold. "Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Essay." /10867/ Last Visited: December, 2001.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Dorfman, Andrea. "A Sticky Situation." __Time For Kids__, February 2, 2001.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Fulton, Jim. "Big Us Oil Companies Have Found Cracks In The Tanker Regulations Inspired By The Exxon Valdez."

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;"> http://www.commondreams.org/views/072000-105.htm Last Visited: January, 2002.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">"Life in the Ocean." __Science Horizons__. United States: Silver Burdett Ginn Inc, 1993.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">National Oceanic and Atmosphic Administration. "What’s the Story on Oil Spills?" http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/kids/spills.html Last Visted:

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">November, 2001.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Office of Emergency and Remedial Response. "Rescuing Wildlife." http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/rescue.htm Last Visited: January, 2002.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Office of Response and Restoration. "Spill Containment Methods." http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi/exercise/contain.html Last Visited:

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">January, 2002.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Oil Spill Intelligence Report. "Oil- Spill Related Fact Summaries" [] Last Visited: January, 2002.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">Stewart, Anne. "World Oil Pollution: Causes, Prevention and Clean- Up." http://oceanlink.island.net/oceanmatters/oil%20pollution.html Last Visited:

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">January, 2002.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica; line-height: 120%;">"What’s being done to prevent another spill?" http://www.oilspill.state.ak.us/ Last Visited: December, 2001.

[]
 * [[image:http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/_themes/spiral/spirulea.gif width="600" height="10" align="center"]] ||
 * [[image:http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/_themes/spiral/spirulea.gif width="600" height="10" align="center"]] ||

An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term often refers to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters. The oil may be a variety of materials, including crude oil, refined petroleum products (such as gasoline or diesel fuel) or by-products, ships' bunkers, oily refuse or oil mixed in waste. Spills take months or even years to clean up. Oil also enters the marine environment from natural oil seeps []

Oil spills can be a dangerous ecological menace to beaches, groundwater, [|animal] and human health. They are also difficult to clean up. All oil spills are different. Environmental, human and animal factors create an infinite array of variables that change the way in which a particular spill can be dealt with. There are solutions to oils spills that generally hold true no matter what the situation. This article explains the four main ways to deal with an oil spill. > > ==Natural Degradation== > > ==Dispersants== > > ==Biological helpers==
 * 1) ==Skimming==
 * A popular method to clean up oil spills is to skim it from the water using skimming equipment with fine filtering systems. The spill is first contained using booms, then the oil, which has collected into a slick, is skimmed from the surface. Booms can be tubes made of neoprene or they can be made of more solid material.
 * If the oil is not likely to pollute fishing areas or coastal regions, the best way to deal with an oil spill is to let it naturally break down. Current, sun and wind will cause the oil to dissipate over time.
 * Dispersants are chemicals that break down the tension that keeps oil and water separated. When oil is sprayed with a dispersant, the oil collects in smaller droplets and sinks. This allows for greater natural breakdown.
 * Another method is to release biological agents into the water to help promote breakdown. Fertilizing agents such as nitrogen and phosphorous promote bacteria in the water. This helps oil to disperse and break down naturally.

Read more: [|Solutions to Oil Spills | eHow.com] [] Oil spills can be a dangerous ecological menace to beaches, groundwater, [|animal] and human health. They are also difficult to clean up. All oil spills are different. Environmental, human and animal factors create an infinite array of variables that change the way in which a particular spill can be dealt with. There are solutions to oils spills that generally hold true no matter what the situation. This article explains the four main ways to deal with an oil spill. > > ==Natural Degradation== > > ==Dispersants== > > ==Biological helpers==
 * 1) ==Skimming==
 * A popular method to clean up oil spills is to skim it from the water using skimming equipment with fine filtering systems. The spill is first contained using booms, then the oil, which has collected into a slick, is skimmed from the surface. Booms can be tubes made of neoprene or they can be made of more solid material.
 * If the oil is not likely to pollute fishing areas or coastal regions, the best way to deal with an oil spill is to let it naturally break down. Current, sun and wind will cause the oil to dissipate over time.
 * Dispersants are chemicals that break down the tension that keeps oil and water separated. When oil is sprayed with a dispersant, the oil collects in smaller droplets and sinks. This allows for greater natural breakdown.
 * Another method is to release biological agents into the water to help promote breakdown. Fertilizing agents such as nitrogen and phosphorous promote bacteria in the water. This helps oil to disperse and break down naturally.

Read more: [|Solutions to Oil Spills | eHow.com] [] []

An oil spill is the accidental petroleum release into the environment. On land, oil spills are usually localized and thus their impact can be eliminated relatively easily. In contrast, marine oil spills may result in oil pollution over large areas and present serious environmental hazards. The primary source of accidental oil input into seas is associated with oil transportation by tankers and pipelines (about 70%), whereas the contribution of offshore drilling and production activities is minimal (less than 1%). Large and catastrophic spills releasing more than 30,000 tons of oil are relatively rare events and their frequency in recent decades has decreased perceptibly. Yet, such episodes have the potential to cause the most serious ecological risk (primarily for sea birds and mammals) and result in long-term environmental disturbances (mainly in [|coastal zones]) and economic impact on coastal activities (especially on [|fisheries] and mariculture). Public concern over marine oil spills has been clearly augmented since the 1967 Torrey Canyon [|supertanker] accident off the UK coast, when 100,000 tonnes of spilled oil caused heavy pollution of the French and British shores with serious ecological and fisheries consequences. More recently, the highly publicized 1989 spill of the //Exxon Valdez// in [|Prince William Sound, Alaska] caused unprecedented damage to the fragile [|Arctic] system. Since then, impressive technical, political, and legal experience in managing the problem has been gained in many countries and at the international level, mainly through a number of Conventions initiated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). As a result of the [|Exxon Valdez oil spill], the U.S. passed legislation requiring all newly built tankers to have a double hull. When the oil reaches the shoreline, on rocky shores some components of the oil evaporate, leaving behind the heaviest components and turning the oil into tar. On rocky shores with surf, the tar will erode away from the wave action, and biological communities will return rather quickly. In [|marshes], however, oil can sink down below the surface and remain for many years. Oil accumulated in marsh sediments undergoes some microbial breakdown, but it is slow. Low-energy environments like marshes are the most vulnerable and show the slowest rates of recovery from oil spills. Effects of a rather small oil spill in Falmouth, MA in the late 1960s were seen to last for a decade by a team of scientists from the nearby Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. It is seldom that a spill occurs right in an area that has been intensively studied prior to the spill. Fiddler crabs were particularly sensitive, and were still affected after seven years. The oil affected their burrow construction – the burrows did not go straight down, but leveled off to a horizontal plane. While this was not a problem during the summer, when winter came the crabs were not below the freezing zone of the marsh as they should have been and froze to death. Benthic communities took about a decade to return to normal. After 30 years, some abnormalities still are noted in fiddler crab burrows in the oiled areas. Marshes and sediments in [|Prince William Sound] in Alaska retained oil from the massive oil spill of the //Exxon Valdez// in 1989 for many years, affecting the development of fish embryos on the bottom. After ten years, pockets of oil remained in these [|marshes], and mussels, clams, ducks and sea otters showed evidence of harm in some localized areas. Remedial actions after oil spills are controversial, and some of the cures (e.g. aggressive cleaning with large heavy equipment) may be worse than the original problem, as was seen in the attempted clean up after the [|Exxon Valdez oil spill]. []

Oil spills occur when tankers release crude oil, also known as petroleum, into the ocean environment. Although accidental spills from oil tankers are highly publicized, they only account for approximately 20 percent of the oil that is released. The other 80 percent of oil from tankers is the result of their routine operations, such as emptying ballast tanks. Read more: [] []

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MARINE ECOSYSTEM WHEN THERE IS AN OIL SPILL?

Oil floats on salt water (the ocean) and usually floats on fresh water (rivers and lakes). Very heavy oil can sometimes sink in fresh water, but this happens very rarely. Oil usually spreads out rapidly across the water surface to form a thin layer that we call an oil slick. As the spreading process continues, the layer becomes thinner and thinner, finally becoming a very thin layer called a sheen, which often looks like a rainbow. (You may have seen sheens on roads or parking lots after a rain.) Depending on the circumstances, oil spills can be very harmful to marine birds and mammals, and also can harm fish and shellfish. You may have seen dramatic pictures of oiled birds and sea otters that have been affected by oil spills. Oil destroys the insulating ability of fur-bearing mammals, such as sea otters, and the water-repelling abilities of a bird's feathers, thus exposing these creatures to the harsh elements. Many birds and animals also ingest (swallow) oil when they try to clean themselves, which can poison them. Depending on just where and when a spill happens, from just a few up to hundreds or thousands of birds and mammals can be killed or injured.