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How to Clean Up Oil Spills. Agenda : February 21 st , 2013 Warm-up : Describe how invasive species can be harmful to a native ecosystem. Give an example Cornell Notes (pg. 27) How to Clean Up Oil Spills Introduce Oil Spill Lab Work on pre-lab questions
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How to Clean Up Oil Spills • Agenda: February 21st, 2013 • Warm-up: Describe how invasive species can be harmful to a native ecosystem. Give an example • Cornell Notes (pg. 27) • How to Clean Up Oil Spills • Introduce Oil Spill Lab • Work on pre-lab questions • Homework: Finish pre-lab questions (3 questions)
Oil tankers are the largest ships to sail in the ocean Usually, these ships are safe
Except on April 20th, 2010 • An estimated 210 million gallons of oil leaked into the Gulf over a 3 month period • An oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico
Deepwater Horizon Oil SpillThe spill as seen from space on May 24th, 2010
When these spills happen, oil spreads out over the surface of the water in a large SLICK
These oil slicks can cause huge environmental damagesHowever, there are numerous ways to contain them, and clean them up
Method 1: Containment boom • Basically a large float that surrounds the slick • As the boom is pulled into a boat, they can skim the oil off the top • The oil slick shrinks until it is completely cleaned up
Method 2: Spray detergent on the spill • When detergent is sprayed on oil slicks, the oil breaks up into clumps which sink to the bottom of the ocean
Method 3: Oil-eating bacteria • These bacteria eat oil slick as food • As they reproduce, they eat more and more oil • When slick is gone, their food source is used up and the bacteria die
Method 4: Absorbing oil • If a slick is small, it can sometimes be absorbed by special absorbent pads • Then, these pads can be removed from the surface of the water