Worst Oil Spill In South Korea's History.

On December 7, 2007 a barge collided with the oil tanker Hebei Spirit which caused it to begin leaking around 2.7million gallons of crude oil. The tanker was carrying approximately 260,000 tons of crude oil. On December 9th around 6,000 government officials and volunteers worked to contain the massive oil slick around South Korea's coast. Oil spills are one of the worst things to the environment and can destroy whole ecosystems. Oil affects wildlife by coating their bodies, and over time oil gets stickier which makes the coats on animals even worse. Oil floats on the water and attracts fish because it looks like food. This in turn attracts sea birds which can get covered in the oil as they dive through it to get to the fish. The fish also attract marine mammals such as seals and dolphins which puts them at risk. After an oil spill it is typical to see many dead birds and sea animals wash up on shore. Birds are affected the most because oil on their feathers prevents them from flying which makes them easy prey. The oil also causes them to lose body heat faster making their metabolism work harder to keep them warm, and the oil can prevent air from getting in between their feathers which keeps them buoyant as a result it causes them to sink or drown. Click here to learn about the many detrimental effects oil spills have on the environment.