Gulf Coast Oil Spill
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| Photo by Sarah Fobes |
Oil spills affect marine life and local industry for years, even decades after they occur. The effects of oil spills are worse when the site is near coastal communities. Shorelines are typically teeming with species that flourish on the water's surface, including birds, sea otters, fish, and invertebrates. When a massive amount of oil is spilled into these areas, it harms the health of marine life. Oil spills also impacts local industry; the fishing, shipping, and tourism industries often suffer economic losses after oil spills. "An explosion that occurred on April 20, 2010 on an oil-drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico has caused a major oil spill that could eclipse the Exxon-Valdez disaster in environmental and economic damage. The explosion left 11 workers dead and 17 injured, in addition to triggering a leak in an oil well that is 5,000 feet below water. The U.S. Coast Guard estimates that the well is leaking 5,000 barrels of oil each day, seriously threatening marine life and the Gulf Coast fishing, shipping, and tourism industries."
"Coastal communities tend to attract tourists that want to take waterfront vacations. When an oil spill occurs and washes onshore, it can mar the scenery and make the water unsafe for swimming and other water sports. This can have a significant affect on hotels, restaurants, recreational water sports shops, and other businesses that cater to tourists." Oil spill affects marine life and the tourism. This is a looming problem for the Gulf's tourism industry and it will continue for years. Fleetwood explained, "When you lose groups or vacationers, they try some place else and then they like the other thing just as well or better. This is a particularly fragile time for the hotel industry ... and in the area affected; it may be the final straw."
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That is so bad! I can´t believe how these things continue happening. Last year I travelled to Argentina and rented one of those furnished apartments in buenos aires to study the effects of the spills in the Atlantic Coast. I´m just gonna say that a lot of animals die becuase of this!
ReplyDeleteKim