The Oil Spill In The Persian Gulf

January 21, 1991. This is the day the Persian Gulf suffered from possibly the largest oil spill to date. However, the oil spill did not only affect the gulf. Animals, humans, ecosystems, and biodiversity were all impacted as a result. This act, inflicted as a war strategy by the Iraqi’s, is the cause of mass deterrence to the environment in the area. Although tremendous progress has been made in an effort to clean the Gulf War oil spill, there are still several efforts that must be made in order to maximize the fixation. In this paper, there are several aspects of the spill to be analyzed, including the facts of the spill, the effects on biodiversity and the environment, and the resources exhausted after the spill. Firstly, the spill consequently
The first element of disaster to be analyzed is wildlife in and around the gulf. It was stated that “birds were the most severely affected group of organisms, and at least three thousand wintering seabirds, mainly cormorants and grebes died in the immediate aftermath of the spill between January and April 1991” (Poonian). Moreover, it was also discovered that seven species of marine turtles became endangered, as their habitat has become severely damaged, and the oil spill influenced a temperature alteration which distressed the sex ratios of turtles hatching in the aftermath” (Poonian). All this, however, is not all the damage ingested, as more than just animals were affected. Sea corals, the home to numerous species of the animals, were affected in five separate regions; Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arabic Emirates and Oman. Research states that “evidence has been [accumulated] which indicates various detrimental effects of oil pollution (especially chronic oil spills) on coral reproduction, growth rate, colonization capacities, feeding and behavioural responses” (Pashaei et. Al). This amplifies the negative connotation associated with the Gulf War oil spill, as the habitats of many species have evidently been damaged. Casualties include dugongs, bottlenose dolphins, humpback dolphins, shrimp, shellfish,
The Gulf War oil spill is renowned as one of the largest oil spills to date. This was not an accidental spill; the Iraqi military spilled the oil as a war tactic in order to ward off the United States and the United Kingdom. No direct actions to dissuade future instances of this sort were set in place, although the public condemning and financial burden may play a role in future deterrence. The damage was quite extensive, as eight million barrels of oil were dumped into the Persian Gulf, along with 600 oil wells being set aflame. The Persian Gulf, along with humans, animals, the environment, and the biodiversity of the gulf were affected by the oil spill. Trees were unable to breath; animals were unable to survive in their natural habitats, and humans were left to deal with the mid-air chemicals all as a result. Resources expended include approximately 700 million US dollars, and items such as smart bombs, booms and skinners. In retrospect, this paper analyzed numerous features of the spill, including the facts of the spill, the effects on biodiversity and the environment, and the resources exhausted after the spill. January 21,