also used remote-sensing of the spill with gene expression data from krillfish in Louisiana. The data shows that the gill tissue on the fish appeared to be damaged and they also had altered protein expression. The gill tissue being damage persisted long after the oil disappeared from the marsh surface. Whitehead has stated, “this is of concern because early life-stages of many organisms are particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of oil and because marsh contamination occurred during the spawning season of many species”(“Effects on Fish Revealed”).
It Even Affected Louisiana
There was a study that appeared online in the Proceeding of National Academy Of Science that founded the 2010 spill that has extinguished salt marsh plants 15 through 30 feet from the shorelines.This study also talked about what happened to Louisiana because of the Gulf of Oil spill. When the plants died off this caused more than double the rate of erosion that went across the marsh edge and created permanent marsh habitat loss. According to Gulf Oil Spill: NSF Awards Grant to Study Effects of Oil and Dispersants on Louisiana Salt Marsh Ecosystem, by the National Science Foundation, Brian Silliman has said,"When grasses die from heavy oiling, their roots, that hold the marsh sediment together, will also die with the plants. By killing grasses on the marsh shoreline, the spill pushed erosion rates on the marsh edge to more than double what they were before. Because Louisiana was already experiencing significant erosive marsh loss due to the channelization of the Mississippi, this is a big example of how multiple human stressors can have additive effects”. Marshes are important because they act as nurseries for animals like shrimp, oysters and fish born in those waters. They also help to sequester significant amounts of carbon. Marshes do many thing that help protect the coastlines and the estuaries, they also help protect the coastlines from flooding. It also keeps the estuarine waters from nutrient pollution When there was an oil spill in Louisiana, researchers saw little oil on the grasses located more than 45 feet from the shoreline. This discovery showed that a lot of oil did not move into the marshes. Instead, it was found that the tall grasses near the marsh edge prevented the incoming oil slicks from going to the coastline. When the oiled plants died, their roots that were holding the sediment died too. “The National Science Foundation said that the result: elevated erosion rates for 1.5 years that averaged more than 10 feet of shoreline loss per year -- double the natural rate for this area”(“Gulf Oil Spill”).
Coastal Wetlands
Approximately 1,100 miles of shorelines were oiled because of the spill in the gulf, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In 2013, the Congressional Research Service estimated around 340 beaches and bayous still need to be cleaned up. The National Wildlife federation argues that cleaning up the oiled wetland is nearly impossible. This is because the oil and it’s effects to remove can kill coastal plants. When the vegetation dies, the loss of roots tend to increase the speed of erosion and it turns land into open water. This is a problem in the Mississippi River delta. The area has lost almost 1,900 square miles of land during the past years. Man Made floods , reshaped rivers for shipping, and the dredge of the wetlands for oil and gas development are the main reasons why this has occurred in the Mississippi River Delta. In addition, without possible funding by BP’S Federal fines for swamp rehab, the Louisiana will lose another 1,750 square miles by 2060. This is bad not only for the wildlife but, also bad for half of Louisiana’s human population because some of their human population lives in coastal areas less than 3 feet above the sea level (“BP Oiled Animals”).
Shorelines
Shorelines
Shorelines that are affected by oils spills have acted as a secondary source of exposure by direct contact to organisms like birds, sea animals, mammals, and reptiles. Oil may soak through the sand or gravel, but it depends on the oil’s physical characteristics. Many organisms can lose their home due to the oil spill. Oil tends to be persistent in staying in the water . This can create a long term impact on the organism who feed there and call this place home. Blue crab, larval fish are few of the many animals that feed or live on the shorelines. So, when oil is buried in the sediment it will most likely remain there for a long time. Oil on beaches is the most visible form of oil pollution that the public can see but, it’s really difficult to remove oil from it. This because sometimes the oily residues that were buried in the sand will persist and linger for awhile.
Oil, Oil and Oil
However, why doesn’t oil dissolve in water?Why does it mix well in water? Most thing dissolve in water. The reason for this is because water is a polar molecule. Polar molecules have a positive side and a negative side to them. The water molecules’ atoms of oxygen stick to one another with the single hydrogen atom on the other side. Oil is made of carbon atoms bonded to a hydrogen atom that forms hydrocarbon chains. The hydrocarbon chains makes oil non-polar The water molecules will stay with the water molecules and the oil molecules will attract to the oil molecules causing a layer of oil floating on the top of the water(“Why doesn’t Oil Dissolve in Water?”).
Oil side effects
There are many different side effects of oil, but it all depends on what type of oil is spilled in the water. Gases like gasoline and diesel fuel have smaller molecules than crude oil which means that they are lighter than crude oil(Why do Oil Spills Happen?). Since they are light molecules, they are very volatile so, these oils will not stay in the environment very long. These gases usually will evaporate in a few days. If gasoline and diesel fuel are spilled in the water they will evaporate pretty quickly, but when they’re still in the water they are often very dangerous. Light fuel can often catch on fire or even explode. They are very toxic even in water. This is not the type of oil the spilled in the gulf though. The fire was not from the oil, but from the mechanics. Living organisms can die from the presence of these oils and they are dangerous to humans too if those fumes are inhaled (How Oil Harms Animals and Plants in Marine Environments). It can also kill organisms if it’s absorbed these oils through their skin. Crude oil was the type of oil that spilled out of the Deepwater Horizon water spill. Horizon Crude oil is thick and often smothers living creatures. It can cover bird’s feathers and stick to the fur of marine mammals. If these oils stay on the animal's fur, feathers, or skin it will prevent the animal from maintaining homeostasis; is the ability or tendency to maintain internal stability in an organism to compensate for environmental changes, killing the animal because of hypothermia (Biology Online). Crude oil does not evaporate easily so that means it will stay in the environment longer (Thompson). People often use the natural method and the absorbent method when trying to clean the shorelines.
Let’s Clean Up
Oil washes ashore on the marshes in Louisiana (AP).
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