ABSTRACT
Oil from the Sea Empress spill in February 1996 contaminated more than 120 miles of South Wales coastline, including rocky shores, sand and shingle shores, mudflats, and salt marsh. Some aerosol sprays also contaminated some maritime cliff along wave-exposed coasts. Some areas of shore, including areas with a high nature conservation value, were heavily oiled. Although much of the affected shore lies on the open coast and is exposed to wave action, large amounts of oil remained on the shores for many months, becoming buried and bound with sediments, percolating deep into cobble and shingle shores, and pooling behind rock features. Oil persistence has been greatest on sheltered shores, particularly where heavy fuel oil stranded. Cleanup activities on these shores have included the use of dispersants, high-pressure washing, low-pressure deluge, trenching, and berm relocation. Numerous studies of the effects of the oil and the cleanup techniques on the intertidal and coastal communities are being undertaken by biologists from various organizations. This paper presents a summary of the results so far.
SEA EMPRESS SPILL: IMPACTS ON MARINE AND COASTAL HABITATS
