What is the largest marine oil spill in history?
Deepwater Horizon
On April 20, 2010, the oil drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, operating in the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, exploded and sank resulting in the death of 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon and the largest spill of oil in the history of marine oil drilling operations.
What was the worst oil spill in the ocean?
the Deepwater Horizon spill
The largest marine oil spill in all of U.S. history was the Deepwater Horizon spill. On April 20, 2010, an explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 people. Before it was capped three months later, approximately 134 million gallons of oil had spilled into the ocean.
What are some recent oil spills?
Confirmed spills
| Spill / Vessel | Location | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| True Oil pipeline | United States, North Dakota, Red Wing Creek | 27 March 2020 |
| Tanker truck rollover | United States, California, Santa Maria, Cuyama River | 21 March 2020 |
| Keystone Pipeline 2019 spill | United States, North Dakota, Walsh County, North Dakota | 29 October 2019 |
How do oil spills kill marine life?
One of the most direct ways in which marine life is affected by oil spills is by essentially suffocating plants and animals. Marine plants can be covered in a film of oil which prevents oxygen and water exchange, causing the plants to die.
What effect do oil spills have on marine life?
Oil spills also affect marine life such as birds by stripping the water resistant coating from their feathers. A bird weighed down by oil may have difficulty flying, and will develop hypothermia as a result of exposure to extremely cold water.
What is the biggest oil spill?
Perhaps the most infamous oil spill in recent history is the Deepwater Horizon. Caused by an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, 210 million gallons of oil were spilled into the Gulf of Mexico , affecting thousands of marine life and making this the largest marine oil spill in history.
What are some examples of oil spills?
Oil Spills: Examples. In March of 1989, the oil supertanker Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil into the Prince William Sound and impacted some 1,300 miles of coastline. It remains the largest oil spill in U.S. history.