A Review of Experimental Shoreline Oil Spills

Abstract

Oil spill research and development has involved a large number of experiments to evaluate the effectiveness and the effects of marine shoreline protection and cleanup techniques. Considerable knowledge has accumulated from laboratory and wave tank studies, and there have also been a number of field experiments, in which oil was intentionally spilled on shorelines under controlled conditions. This review summarizes those field experiments, which are grouped in five major habitat types: rocky intertidal, cobble/pebble/gravel, sand/mud, saltmarshes, and mangroves/seagrasses. Tables included in the paper itemize the oil type and volume, location and substrate character, number and size of plots, response techniques tested, and referenced publications. This information is then used to combine understanding of the effectiveness of cleanup with understanding of the ecological effects of cleanup methods, compared with those of untreated oil. It is very difficult to achieve this type of information and understanding from toxicity testing or from spills of opportunity.

Performance ofDacryodes edulis(Don. G. Lam H. J.) Seeds and Seedlings in a Crude Oil Contaminated Soil

“…While Odu (1972) and McCown and Deneke (1992) also reported poor performance of plants growing in oil polluted soils. Baker (1973) and Baker et al (1993) reported that oil spillage caused death of seedlings and defoliation in mangroves.…”

“…Nwoboshi (2000) reported that D. edulis is an endangered species common in oil producing areas of Delta State. Furthermore, as a result of the high rate of oil spill incidents in Nigeria (Baker et al, 1993) and its attendant effects on forest species including D. edulis, it has become important to study the performance of D. edulis seeds and seedlings in a crude oil contaminated soil.…”

“…Oil spills destroy farmlands and have significant effects on plant growth hence detrimental impact on agricultural lands, crop plants, forest trees and their seedlings (Bartha, 1977;Nwankwo, 1981;Udo and Oputa, 1984;Ogri, 2001). Serious oil spillage has led to abandonment of water bodies, farmlands and forest reserves in the Niger Delta areas of Nigeria (Baker et al, 1993;Bamidele and Agbogidi, 2000).…”

Comparative Toxicity of Two Oil Types and Two Dispersants on the Growth of a Seashore Grass, Paspalum Vaginatum(swartz)

“…The effect of oil on wetland vegetation ranges from reduction in photosynthesis to mortality (Pezeshki and DeLaune, 1993). Burns and Teal (1979) found that oil persisted in salt marsh sediments seven years after an oil spill and may have long term effects on marsh organisms (Alexander and Webb, 1987;Baker et al, 1993).…”

“…But wetlands are vulnerable to mechanical damage during removal operations (OTA, 1990). The recognition of these disadvantages has fuelled interest in methodologies that are more efficient at removing the oil and less destructive to wetland structure (Baker et al, 1993).…”