Experts Warn, Amplify Energy Oil Spill, Could Endanger Birds and Sea Life for Years.
NPR reports that emergency officials
are still working to contain a major oil spill
off the coast of Southern California.
The spill at an oil rig owned by Amplify Energy
has dumped over 120,000 gallons
of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean.
According to NPR, experts say the spill could have significant long-term impacts to the environment.
Andrea Bonisoli Alquati, a professor of biological sciences at Cal Poly Pomona, warns that birds and marine life in the area could be affected for years to come. .
They might not look visibly oiled, but the exposure that they get subtly through their diet or because of physical contact later on might affect their physiology, their health and translate into a lower reproductive success and therefore lower chances of the population to persist, Andrea Bonisoli Alquati, Professor of biological sciences
at Cal Poly Pomona, via NPR.
In studying the effects of the 2010
Deepwater Horizon spill, Alquati found that
the repercussions are still present today.
Some populations might recover fast.
Some other populations take years
and years. Sometimes the focus,
of course, of the press and the public
has already shifted away, but the
consequences are still happening, Andrea Bonisoli Alquati, Professor of biological sciences
at Cal Poly Pomona, via NPR.
The ecological effects of the spill can
already be seen in Southern California.
Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley tweeted on Sunday that officials were starting to find dead birds and fish washing up on the shore.
Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley tweeted on Sunday that officials were starting to find dead birds and fish washing up on the shore.
This spill — in virtually the same spot as
a devastating 1990 spill — is a reminder
that petroleum and water are a dangerous
mix along California's precious coast
and that continued reliance on oil kills birds
and other wildlife, threatens our public health,
and harms local economies
and recreational opportunities, Sarah Rose, Executive director of Audubon California, via NPR.
This spill — in virtually the same spot as
a devastating 1990 spill — is a reminder
that petroleum and water are a dangerous
mix along California's precious coast
and that continued reliance on oil kills birds
and other wildlife, threatens our public health,
and harms local economies
and recreational opportunities, Sarah Rose, Executive director of Audubon California, via NPR