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On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez hit a shoal in Prince William Sound and spilled 50,000 tons of crude oil into the
surrounding waters (Greene, 1998). This crude oil had an immediate and
lasting impact on the residents of this habitat and surrounding areas.
Crude oil sank to the bottom and covered shellfish. It coated the feathers
on birds, inhibiting flight and preventing the feathers from insulating the
birds against the cold. Oil covered the gills and bodies of fish, causing
them to suffocate. The oil also killed vast quantities of plankton, which form the base of the oceanic food chain (Greene, 1998).
Oil spills such as the Amaco Cadiz in France and the Sea Empress off the coast of Wales have had similar and long lasting impacts on the surrounding environment and its inhabitants. Oil remains in the water column and trapped around and within the sediment particles of the substrate. Storms
and practices such as dredging may suspend oil again that has been buried
under the sediments.
Oil also enters marine and aquatic environments through nonpoint sources
such as sewer systems from homes and businesses in which oil products have
been improperly disposed. Runoff from roads and bridges may also contain
oil from motor vehicles.
In time, oil dissipates from the environment as it is metabolized (broken down) by bacteria and dissipated by wave action (Greene, 1998). Scientists have identified some oil-eating bacteria that may assist in "clean up" of oil spills.
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Students will be able to do the following:
- Describe some effects of oil spills on resident flora and fauna.
- Identify various methods of cleaning oil spills.
- Identify some of the major oil spills that have taken place in the last
several decades.
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- One, 1000 ml plastic beaker for every four students
- Vegetable oil
- Blue food coloring
Oil spill clean up materials:
- Sponge cut into small cubes (1 cube/group)
- Cotton swabs (10/group)
- Plastic spoons (1/group)
- Cloth swatches (1/group)
- Forceps (1/group)
- Pipette (1/group)
- Other cleanup tools
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Activity
- Divide students into cooperative learning groups of four students per
group.
- Have students conduct library/computer research on the various oil
spills that have occurred throughout the world. Have each group list the
ways the oil was cleaned, the spill effects, and the condition of
the environment today. Discuss the results.
- Provide each cooperative learning group with a biome in a beaker (biomes
should be prepared before beginning this activity. See the attached page
for ideas for your biomes). Each biome should consist of an environment
with blue water created with food coloring. Choose an amount of oil and
pre-measure it for each group. Have the students pour oil into the biomes
and observe and record the results. Each group has a full complement of
"clean up" tools and a recovery jar for the oil. Each group must discuss each of the tools for cleaning the oil and decide which tools they believe will work the best in its particular biome. Students should record
results and measure the volume of oil recovered from the biomes. Groups will
then report the results of their experiments to the other students.
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- Each student should develop a written environmental impact statement
including a report on the damaged or destroyed habitat and the organisms
adversely affected by the spill.
- Students could paint posters of the environment, in their biomes,
including as many organisms indigenous to the environment as possible to
demonstrate biodiversity.
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Evaluate group presentations on content and scientific methodologies used.
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Marine & Aquatic Pollution - Oil Spills