This National Geographic website has a series of pictures and captions about the recent oil spill from a cargo ship that ran aground on a reef. As of October 13, 2011 they are attempting to offload the fuel, but the ship runs the risk of breaking in two. What effect could this have on the ocean ecosystem? What about the ecosystems of the nearby beaches and islands? How do you think this compares with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that occurred recently?
Update: As of October 18, 2011 they were taking the fuel off, but some of it has the consistency of peanut butter so it's hard to pump. The ship is also leaning quite a bit more and is in jeopardy of breaking in half, especially as they are continuing to remove oil and fuel.
The effect it can have on the ocean ecosystem wouldn't be good because the oil spill from "Rena" would harm the environment and organisms in the ocean from pollution. The ecosystems of the nearby beaches and islands would be filled with oil and polluted. The animals such as seabirds are drenched with oil; it can harm the birds both inside and out. When the birds preen their feathers with the oil on it, they are inhaling some of the oil causing problems inside them. Outside, the oil affects their resistance to cold water on their feathers. This can cause cold water to reach the bird and it can get hypothermia. I think the oil spill that happened at the Gulf of Mexico and this oil spill are similiar. They both had a dramatic effect on the ecosystem.
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