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.
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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