OIL SPILLS: ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Spilled oil can lead to habitat losses that may alter migration patterns, disrupt life cycles of animals, and result in erosion of shorelines. The majority of oil from a spill remains in the environment, which is known to especially impact birds in negative ways, as they could ingest the oil coating their feathers, thereby irritating their digestive tract, altering liver function, and causing kidney damage. Combined with their diminished foraging capacity, these adverse components can rapidly result in dehydration and metabolic imbalance.