Question

Give reasons for the following.

Marine life is destroyed during oilspills.

Answer 1

Marine life is destroyed during oil spills because:

1. Spilled oil is less dense than water and floats on the surface, forming a thick layer called an oil slick that blocks essential sunlight.
2. This surface layer cuts off the atmospheric gas exchange, rapidly reducing the dissolved oxygen levels needed by marine organisms to survive.
3. The sticky oil coats the bodies of sea birds and marine mammals, destroying the natural insulation of fur and water repellency of feathers.
4. Marine animals accidentally ingest the toxic chemical hydrocarbons while feeding or cleaning themselves, causing acute internal poisoning.
5. The toxicity of oil directly damages fish eggs, clogs up gills, and disrupts the entire aquatic food chain from plankton to apex predators.