subject: Oil Spills May Be Harmful For Sea Creatures [print this page] Amid several present day environmental hazards which are ringing alarm bells, oil spills is among the most popular of all. Oil spills are widely known to have catastrophic consequences on the environment, with marine life being on the top of the hit list. Here are details of the ruckus that oil spills are capable of inflicting on the sea life.
1 of the first bad effects of oil spills is hypothermia. It is a disease caused in marine animals due to oil spills. When oil enters the water, it create a sticky material called 'mousse'. This mousse sticks on to the fur and feathers of sea animals. Typically, the fur or feathers are made up of air space that help in insulation. When the fur and feathers are lined in oil, they're unable to insulate the body. This outcomes in hypothermia. This illnesses may result in the death of a lot of sea creatures.
Even after an oil spill, the marine creatures go on to inhabit the contaminated waters and are likely to consume it as well. The ingestion of the oil can lead to poisoning or other heavy ailments like internal harm. A few of the common troubles that marine animals have to control as a result of ingesting the oil involve damage to the red blood cells, poor working of liver and kidney plus a weakened immune mechanism.
Furthermore, ingestion of oil content may trigger difficulties in the working of the lungs and eyes as well. It is not the intake of oil alone that brings in harm; even inhaling the oil vapors may be as hazardous. Oil vapors can impede the activity level of the sea creatures as they tend to feel sleepy and droopy after inhaling them.
Many sea creatures die as a consequence of ingestion of oil. But, there are some that become prey to predators as a consequence of a weakened system. Trapped in oil, the fur and feathers increase the body weight of sea creatures. This makes it challenging for the birds and the animals. As a result, they are unable to save themselves and are trapped by predators.
Yet another adverse effect of oil spills on sea life is the low reproduction rate. It's been noticed that oil spill hampers the reproduction pattern of numerous sea creatures especially sea turtles and fish. More is the oil content in the sea; more is its intake by the marine animals. This in turn interrupts the reproductive cycle of the sea animals.
So, provided the many negative affects that it has on marine life, every precaution need to be taken to stop oil spills from contaminating our water bodies. If it is allowed to continue unchecked, the extinction of all sea biology is just unavoidable.
