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Ocean oil spills have huge short-term and long-term effects on the animals in the ecosystem and the surrounding environment. These impacts threaten the future of not only the particular species, but also the biome as a whole.
The release of liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the ocean, and other marine environments like estuaries and marshes, causes the destruction of many marine animals and plants as well as the surrounding environment. The harmful chemicals in the oil are detrimental to the survival of many of these organisms and their individual characteristics that allow them to thrive in the marine habitat. Additionally, the oil pollution affects different areas of the biome in different ways depending on the damage it can cause and the sensitivity of the area.
Exposed rocky and sandy shores, for example, have fairly low sensitivity as the majority of the oil pollution can be cleared fairly quickly. They are still affected however, as pollution can remain stuck in the crevices in the rocks as well as can lead to a decline in the mollusk and crustacean species that are poisoned by its toxicity.
Beaches, as another example, vary greatly in their sensitivity to the oil pollution. Steep beaches with less diverse structures are much less vulnerable than calmer beaches with coarse sand that traps the oil. Additionally, often these beaches are breeding grounds for animals like turtles that could be greatly damaged by this contamination.
harm to the environment
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