Anyone who gazed over a body of water knows how beautiful the sea can be. When the sun is rising or setting over the water and the ocean on fire with its reflection, it is difficult to image how lovely it is. The thought of all this beauty being spoiled by thousands of gallons of thick, black oil is enough to enrage any person.
Yet, an oil spill can be quite beautiful in its fashion. The oil slick left behind can shimmer with the colours of the rainbow when the light catches it the right way.
Oil can be devastating to the ecology of the ocean. Oil can kill living things, disrupt food chain and ruin beaches.
Fortunately, nature itself can take care of a large percentage of an oil spill. When an oil spill occurs, the oil floats on the surface of the water. Some evaporates which turns into gas and floats away in the air. The water and wind breaks up much of the oil slick left behind. Some of the oil sinks into the bottom of the sea. Bacteria eat part of the oil and resulting the oil spill to disapper within a few days.
The severity of an oil spill depends on where it takes place. If it takes place in the middle of the ocean where few living organisms are found, it will have a small impact. But if it takes place close to shore, thousands of organisms can be affected and can be devastating.
