What is oil?

1. What is oil? Non renewable resource A fossil fuel that take millions of years to create

2. Where does oil come from? • When dead organisms sink to the bottom of a body of water, sand, clay, and silt create a thin layer over these organisms as they begin to chemically decompose by a process called pyrolysis. • The process repeats and another layer is formed and over millions of years enormous amounts of pressure builds up causing bottom layer to become hot. • Clay, sand, and silt turn to rocks and decayed organisms turn to hydrocarbons and a dark heavy liquid we call oil.

3. How do we extract oil from the earth? Geoseismic research- identifies oil reservesDrilling rigs- dig and run pipes down to well Pressure- causes oil and gas to naturally flow out of well Sometimes this causes oil spills

5. Many factors play a role in the devastation and duration of oil spills Amount of oil spilled Physical characteristics of affected area Weather conditions and season Speed and effectiveness of clean up

6. Effects on industry and coastal communities Industry Coastal Communities • Power plants and desalination plants rely on saltwater mainly as a coolant to run machinery • Plants especially those whose water intakes are near the surface draw in floating oil and clog machinery • Interfere with recreational swimming, boating, fishing, and diving. • Hotel and restaurant owners suffer temporary loss is business

7. Precautionary ban on sale of fish This puts fishermen out of jobs until able to fish again Causes businesses to suffer decrease in sales around the world

8. Shorelines Where oil naturally accumulates is often one of the hardest hit areasSoft sediment shore lines consisting of sand and mud, like in Estuaries, the oil can sink into sediment through flocculation (sediments stirred up from storms and penetrate down worm burrows And open plant stems), which means oil will persist for years and risk Of long term effects will increase. Rock shores which are Exposed to waves more Often are shown to recover More rapidly Mangrove trees can die or be Damaged depending on substrate In which they are growingMost likely to be damaged if oil Smothers breathing roots

9. Seabirds • Seabirds are among most vulnerable since easily harmed by floating oil • Species that dive or float on sea surface can become covered in oil • Birds ingest oil while cleaning feathers, this can be lethal It is rare for birds to survive cleaning by humans and even more rare for survivors to successfully breed. • Most common cause of death is drowning, starvation, as well as loss of • body heat. Penguins are most resilient

10. Whales, Dolphins, Seals • These animals require surfacing to breath which is where the majority of oil is accumulated • Animals which rely on fur to regulate body temperature, such as seals, often die of hypothermia or overheating depending on season, since fur becomes matted with oil • Seals also breed on shorelines which can be completely saturated in oil resulting in less breeding or dying of young