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Remaining Impacts
Although Prince William Sound has proved to be surprisingly resilient, impacts from the spill remain:
- Deeply penetrated oil continues to visibly leach from a few beaches, as on Smith Island (right).
- In some areas, intertidal animals such as mussels are still contaminated by oil.
- Some rocky sites that were stripped of heavy plant cover by high-pressure, hot-water cleaning remain mostly bare rock.
- Rich clam beds that suffered high mortalities from oil and extensive beach cleaning have not repopulated to their previous levels.
While these are mostly isolated examples, they provide a basis for gauging the overall recovery of oiled areas. Prince William Sound has made a remarkable recovery from a severe injury, but it remains an ecosystem in transition.
Other Pages in this Series
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