A team of American and Chinese scientists studying oil pollution in the world’s seas has found that humans are responsible for more than 90% of lingering oil slicks, a significantly higher percentage than previously thought.

Their study, which was published in Science, is an important update to previous studies of marine oil pollution, which suggested that about half of the contamination came from human sources and the other half from natural sources.

The frequency with which they identified these floating oil slicks from minor discharges, ships, pipelines, natural sources such as seeps into the ocean floor, and then also from areas where industry or communities produce runoff with floating oil is striking.

Oil slicks are caused by human activities

(Photo: CRISTINA VEGA RHOR/AFP via Getty Images)

Oil slicks are very thin layers of oil on the surface of the ocean.

They can be caused by large oil spills, but they are also widely and continuously created by human activities and natural sources, according to ScienceDaily.

Wind and currents constantly move these short-lived oil slicks, while waves break them apart, making investigations difficult.

The researchers used artificial intelligence to explore and analyze more than 560,000 satellite radar images acquired between 2014 and 2019.

They were able to identify the location, extent and likely sources of chronic oil contamination as a result.

Even a small amount of oil can have a significant influence on plankton, which is the foundation of the ocean food chain.

According to Yongxue Liu, a professor at Nanjing University’s School of Geographical and Oceanographic Sciences and corresponding author, satellite technology offers a technique to better monitor oil pollution of the oceans, especially in seas where human monitoring is difficult.

To reduce oil pollution, a holistic view can help focus policy and enforcement.

The usefulness of satellite imagery can provide a solution. Most of the oil slicks were found around beaches, researchers say.

Within 25 miles of the coast, half of the oil slicks were discovered and 90% were within 100 miles.

The researchers found that the Gulf of Mexico has fewer oil slicks than other parts of the world, implying that government monitoring and enforcement, as well as compliance by oil rig operators in the American waters, limit leaks.

Read also : New York City-scale oil spill poses risk to marine life in Mediterranean Sea

Why are oil spills dangerous?

The amount and type of oil spilled, as well as the location of the spill, the types of plants, animals and ecosystems found there, can all impact the extent of damage caused by a spill. of petroleum.

Oil spills wreak havoc on marine life in two ways.

Fouling or oiling occurs when oil causes physical damage to a plant or animal.

Oil can coat a bird’s wings, preventing it from flying, or rob a sea otter’s fur of its insulating characteristics, putting it at risk of hypothermia.

The degree of oil has a significant influence on the survival prospects of the animal.

Many distinct hazardous chemicals can be found in petroleum. Heart damage, developmental delay, immune system impacts, and even death can all be caused by these dangerous substances.

The impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in 2010 have enriched our knowledge of oil toxicity.

Oil spill response often includes the recovery, cleanup and rehabilitation of wildlife.

Wildlife can be difficult to locate and capture, oil spills can occur over large areas, and some creatures (like whales) are too big to salvage.

Unfortunately, rescuing all species affected by oil spills is impractical.

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