NOAA Scientists Report on Lingering Effects of Exxon Valdez Oil Spill NOAA has been involved in evaluating the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which took place on March 24, 1989 when the tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound, AK. NOAA continues to conduct research on the effects of the 1989 oil spill and monitor the persistence of oil in the environment. (Despite massive clean-up efforts over the past 17 years, scientists at NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Auke Bay estimate that about six miles of shoreline is still affected by the spill and as much as 100 tons of oil lingers in the Sound.) In a study that was just concluded, NOAA Fisheries researchers at the Auke Bay Lab found oil buried in the low-tide zone, extending farther into tidal waters than previously thought. This tidal zone is an important feeding ground for sea otters, birds and other wildlife. The findings indicate that exposure to Exxon Valdez oil may be contributing to the slow recovery of shore-dwelling animals in some parts of Prince William Sound. For example, sea otters have not yet returned to Herring Bay and the population of otters elsewhere around northern Knight Island continues to decline. Unfortunately, because much of this oil is buried in beach sediments, it could remain hazardous to wildlife for decades.
These findings will be published in the American Chemical Society’s journal, Environmental Science & Technology on June 15. More information on NOAA Fisheries’ research following the Exxon Valdez oil spill is available
NOAA Scientists Report on Lingering Effects of Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
NOAA has been involved in evaluating the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which took place on March 24, 1989 when the tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound, AK. NOAA continues to conduct research on the effects of the 1989 oil spill and monitor the persistence of oil in the environment. (Despite massive clean-up efforts over the past 17 years, scientists at NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Auke Bay estimate that about six miles of shoreline is still affected by the spill and as much as 100 tons of oil lingers in the Sound.)
In a study that was just concluded, NOAA Fisheries researchers at the Auke Bay Lab found oil buried in the low-tide zone, extending farther into tidal waters than previously thought. This tidal zone is an important feeding ground for sea otters, birds and other wildlife. The findings indicate that exposure to Exxon Valdez oil may be contributing to the slow recovery of shore-dwelling animals in some parts of Prince William Sound. For example, sea otters have not yet returned to Herring Bay and the population of otters elsewhere around northern Knight Island continues to decline. Unfortunately, because much of this oil is buried in beach sediments, it could remain hazardous to wildlife for decades.
These findings will be published in the American Chemical Society’s journal, Environmental Science & Technology on June 15. More information on NOAA Fisheries’ research following the Exxon Valdez oil spill is available