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Fattorini

were observed on benthic fauna and various fish and an indeterminable number of salmon and herring.
26
species. 1,2,73 Several years after the disaster, evidence of adverse
In 1979, the huge carrier Atlantic Empress collided effects on marine birds was found in various species,
with the tanker Aegean Captain during a tropical storm, including cormorants, ducks, and guillemots. 26,76 As
followed by fire and explosion, approximately 300 mentioned above, low temperatures have significantly
nautical miles east of Tobago in the Caribbean Sea. altered the natural dispersion and degradation dynamics
A massive spill of about 287,000 tons of light crude oil of hydrocarbons, and this, combined with the difficulty
occurred due to strong currents, high water temperatures, of reaching the site located in a relatively inaccessible
and the light nature of the spilled oil, which led to rapid environment, has favored the chronicity of the adverse
dispersion on the ocean. Considering the relatively long effects. 1,2,26,76
distance from the coast, no significant impact or long- The National Marine Fisheries Service, National
term environmental damage was officially reported on Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in Juneau,
nearby islands. No specific widespread marine species has determined that in 2001, approximately 90 tons
involvement or threat was documented due to the rapid of oil remained in the sandy soil of the contaminated
dispersion and lack of comprehensive studies at the shoreline, estimating a slow decrease in impact of
time; therefore, the real adverse effects on living species about 4% per year from 2001 onward. The chronic
77
remain unknown. 1,2,74 oil impact, lasting longer than anticipated, has resulted
The tanker Castillo de Bellver broke in half and sank in more long-term species losses. It has also been
following a fire in the engine rooms in 1983, about 70 estimated that many marine species directly affected
nautical miles north-west of Cape Town, South Africa. by oil contamination may require over 30 years for
Approximately 252,000 tons of light crude oil spilled recovery. 26,76,77 The Exxon Valdez disaster, due to its
into the ocean. Most oil drifted offshore due to prevailing severity and extension, is considered the first accident
winds, resulting in little coastal pollution. Some “black to have had a significant impact on a large geographical
rain” fell on agricultural land by atmospheric transport and temporal scale.
and deposition, but no long-term damage was recorded. Since then, restrictions and regulations have been
About 1,500 Cape Gannets were oiled and threatened, implemented globally, but significant accidents
while the impacts on fishing grounds and fish stocks continue to occur. In 1991, an explosion on board the
were considered negligible due to the rapid dispersion oil tanker ship “ABT Summer” caused a fire and the
of light hydrocarbon mixtures. 1,2,75 complete sinking of the vessel. The accident occurred
In 1988, the tanker Odyssey broke in half during a approximately 700 nautical miles off the coast of
severe storm in the North Atlantic, approximately 700 Angola, where about 260,000 tons of crude oil spilled
nautical miles off Nova Scotia, Canada, causing a spill into the ocean. Due to its remote location and rough
of approximately 132,000 tons of North Sea Brent crude seas, the oil dispersed naturally, and no coastline was
oil. The oil slick initially extended over 80 km , drifted affected. In this case, no specific widespread marine
2
eastward, but, due to the remote location and rough species were directly involved or threatened, although
seas, it never reached shore and dispersed naturally. the real pollution extension and adverse effects on living
However, it significantly harmed the local krill species remain unknown. 78
population, disrupting the food chain. No additional In the same year (1991), an explosion and fire during
large-scale impact on coastal species was reported. 1,2,76 offloading operations occurred, leading to the tanker
The Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989 is considered Haven breaking apart and sinking off the coast of Genoa,
one of the most significant of the modern era. The ship, Italy, in the Mediterranean Sea. About 144,000 tons of
bound for Long Beach, California, struck the Bligh heavy crude oil spilled out in the sea, causing significant
Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Approximately pollution along the shores of Italy (Liguria, Tuscany)
37,000 tons of crude oil spilled into Alaska’s Prince and France (French Riviera, Corsica). Oil slicks covered
William Sound. Although this event reported the large areas of the Ligurian Sea, directly impacting the
smallest volume of crude oil spilled, it represents one of local marine life, including fish, crustaceans, coastal
the most impactful historical events to have caused long- birds, fish farms, and coastal ecosystems. The specific
term ecological damage, which affected over 1,900 km estimate of the marine species involved or threatened
of coast. It has been estimated that the immediate is unavailable, but recovery of some affected areas
26
effects included the deaths of many seabirds (between took over a decade. 1,2,79 Peculiar characteristics, such
100,000 and 250,000), almost 3,000 marine mammals, as enclosed basins and the Mediterranean Sea present

Volume 22 Issue 6 (2025) 26 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025290224