The 1969 Oil Spill - A Threat to the Environment Even Today

The 1969 Oil Spill - A Threat to the Environment Even Today The oil spill that occurred on January 28, 1969 in Buzzard’s Bay off Cape Cod, when a barge ran aground resulted in the spilling of 200,000 gallons of oil. Like other oil spills, this too had a severe ecological impact. Not only was the seabird population affected, even shorebirds and diving birds faced enormous problems.

But, what makes one talk about this oil spill even today is the fact that, even after four decades of this oil spill, researchers have found compelling evidence that the aftereffects of this spill still exists even after extensive oil spill cleanup.

Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy have found evidence that the marine environment still contains oil, even though the surface sediments appear fine. The study revealed that though the top two inches or the lower three inches of the core didn’t contain any petroleum residue, the central section of the sediment core had petroleum hydrocarbons similar in concentration to those found in the 1969 Oil Spill.

Several other studies have further proved that wildlife and salt marsh too are facing the aftermath of this oil spill. It has taken a huge toll on the sea grass beds and fiddler crabs of Wild Harbor's marshland.

There has been a significant change in the population, burrowing behavior, escape response, and feeding rate of fiddler crabs in Wild Harbor. When compared to the fiddler crabs in nearby Great Sippewissett marsh, these crabs dug short burrows because of residual oil. It has also been proven that the harmful oil residues in the sediments have hindered microbial degradation in these salt marshes.

These findings show how devastating oil spills can be. So, it gives us all the more reason to take steps to not only prevent oil spills, but also do a thorough job of oil spill containment and oil spill cleanup.