Exxon Valdez haunts Alaska coast
Exxon Valdez haunts Alaska coast
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Tuesday, 16, May 2006 12:01
Wildlife including ducks and sea otters are suffering from the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil disaster 17 years after the spillage occurred, scientists have claimed.
New research published in the online periodical of the Environmental Science and Technology journal today by scientists from the National Marine Fisheries Service in Alaska shows that remnants of crude oil continue to affect the feeding grounds of wild animals in the area.
They claim that some areas have still not fully recovered the full complement of shore-dwelling animals that existed in the area prior to the 1989 spillage, when 11 million gallons of crude oil oozed into Prince William Sound following the sinking of the tanker.
"Sea otters have yet to re-inhabit Herring Bay, the most oiled bay we studied, and the population of otters elsewhere around northern Knight Island continues to decline," said research chemist Jeffrey Short.
"Unfortunately, because much of this oil is buried in beach sediments and not exposed to weathering and other elements that might degrade it, it could remain hazardous to wildlife for decades."
Around six miles of shoreline remain affected by the spillage, while Mr Short estimates that around 100 tons of crude oil remains in the Sound today.