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Remaining Impacts of the Spill |
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How did the
oil spill impact marine life and their
habitats?
What scientists
have found is that, despite the gloomy outlook
in 1989, the intertidal habitats
of Prince William Sound have proved to be surprisingly resilient.
Many shorelines that were heavily oiled and then intensively cleaned now appear
much as they did before the spill. Most gravel beaches where the oiled sediments were
excavated and pushed into the surf zone for cleansing have returned to their
normal shape and distribution on the shore. Beaches that had been stripped of
plants and animals by the toxic effects of oil and
by the intense cleanup efforts show extensive recolonization and
are similar in appearance to areas that were unoiled.
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| The photo on the left was taken in June 1989 in Northwest Bay, only months after the oil spill, and very soon after, this area had been cleaned with high-pressure hot water. Extensive areas of dead rockweed (Fucus gardneri) are visible in the photo. The photo on the right shows the same location in 1998. Click on image for larger view and more information. | ||
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Although the 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.
In some areas, intertidal animals, such as mussels, are still contaminated by oil, affecting not only the mussels but any animals (including people) that eat them.
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 recolonized to
their previous levels.
While these are isolated examples, they provide a basis for gaging 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.
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