Question

What is the major effect of oil spills on marine life and birds?

Answer 1

Oil from spills spreads across the sea surface and coats organisms, creating an insulating layer that reduces oxygen exchange and contaminates the water, this suffocates and poisons fish, invertebrates and other marine life, while birds that become coated in oil lose the waterproofing and insulation of their feathers, so they lose buoyancy and the ability to fly or stay warm, often starving or dying from exposure; ingestion of oil also causes internal poisoning and long‑term reproductive and ecosystem damage.