1. Larger fish were able to
swim away from the oil
during the spill.
Mummichogs
Also known as killifish,
mummichogs can
break down petroleum
hydrocarbons and excrete
them as carbon dioxide
and water molecules
through their digestive
system. Their egg has
a tough outer membrane,
which may keep oil from
penetrating and damaging
the embryo.
Fish that feed on creatures
that are directly affected
by the oil spill will be more
at risk for toxin-related
problems than fish
feeding on plankton within
the water column.
Horseshoe Crabs
Most adults have migrated
to the continental shelf
in the Atlantic. When the
water warms, they will return
to spawn in the Delaware Bay.
Adult and juvenile crabs
that do not move offshore
could encounter tarballs on the
bay’s floor and become oiled.
If oil or tarballs are on the beaches
or in the sediment during
spawning, they could affect
the survival and development
of the crabs’ eggs and larvae.
Green alga
Golden
brown alga
Herring egg
Oyster larvae
Striped bass larva
Giant water flea
Barnacle
nauplius larva
Copepod Crab zoea
larva
Sea nettle
ephyra
Snail larva
Diatom
American eel
Blue heron
Silver-haired bat
Bald
eagle
Osprey
American shad
Flounder
Oyster
Bed
Catfish
New Jersey
chorus frog
Coastal
plain frog
Mud turtle
Horseshoe crab
Atlantic sturgeon
River otter
Diamondback
terrapin
Tiger
salamander
Belted
kingfisher
Benthic community species magnified
Species are not to scale
Mallard duck
River herring
Menhaden
Red drum
Sheephead
minnows
Mummichog
A Drop of Fresh Water
Plankton are tiny plants, animals or bacteria and
serve as the basis of the food web. They float
in the water column and are sensitive to changes
in water quality. There are many different species
in the Delaware estuary.
Phytoplankton are capable of photosynthesis
and live in the part of the water column that light
can penetrate. They are single-celled organisms
that include diatoms and other algae and are
consumed by zooplankton. Contaminants can
enter the food web at this level.
Zooplankton are filter feeders that get food
from particles suspended in the water.
Since zooplankton consume phytoplankton,
they are an important link in the food web
and can convey contaminants to fish.
Birds
More than 300 species
of birds are found
in the Delaware estuary.
Only a fraction of
the birds immediately
affected by the oil spill
were recovered and
cleaned, and survived
to be released.
During the nesting
season, oil that comes
in contact with an egg
can permeate the shell
and kill the embryo.
Oil was seen on some
of the three pairs
of nesting bald eagles
along the Delaware River.
The nesting area, hard
hit with a heavy coating
of oil, was given a priority
status for the cleaning.
Larger Water Fowl
Canada geese that are slightly oiled may
be able to fly away from the spill area.
During preening or feeding, they can
ingest oil and become sick.
Mussels function as biofilters.
This can lead to a toxic
concentration
of oil
byproducts
in their fatty
tissue.
As with
oysters,
mussels
can be
affected
by direct
exposure
to their tissue
and smothered by
heavy crude oil.
Vegetation
The wetlands that ring the
Delaware estuary are vital
to maintaining clean
water and a healthy
ecosystem. They are
a spawning and
nursery area for
fish and help
remove nutrients
from the water
column.
Mallards and wood ducks
feed on small invertebrates and
submerged vegetation by sifting
sediment through their bills.
Fiddler Crabs
Studies of the fiddler crab
after an oil spill
in Massachusetts
uncovered behavioral
problems. The crabs live
in burrows in marsh areas.
During warm weather,
they come out at low tide
to eat and mate.
In the winter, they burrow
deeper to hibernate. After
the oil spill, the crabs
studied did not burrow
deeper and froze over
the winter.
Oyster Bed
Eastern oysters were
in a period of inactivity during
the colder months, so they
were not feeding as much at
the time of the spill. As with
mussels, the oysters can ingest
oil particles during feeding.
Red Knots
The endangered
bird eats the eggs
of the horseshoe crab
during a stopover on its
migratory path to the Arctic.
Canada geese
Loggerhead
turtle
Migratory Turtles
The loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley,
leatherback and green turtles
will migrate to the bay area
in the spring. Any effect from
the oil would most likely come
from eating contaminated prey.
Loggerheads’ diet includes
horseshoe crabs.
Benthic Community
Benthic algae, microorganisms growing on the bottom sediment of the water body,
are a source of food and habitat in the marsh area. The benthic community
includes tiny worms, isopods, clams, mussels, shrimp, snails and crabs that live in the
bottom sediment of the estuary. Filter feeders, such as oysters, siphon their food
from the water. Deposit feeders, such as snails and shrimp, sift through the rich soil
and feed on the organic matter.
The eggs and larva of fish that spawn on the river bottom or in vegetation where
there are still concentrations of oil may be killed or suffer deformities and impaired
growth from the toxic effects of the oil.
Some oil can seep into holes left by burrowing worms, mussels and plant roots.
Once in these subsurface areas, the oil will be covered by the sediment
during the back-and-forth motion of tides.
▼
95
76
295
295
676
476
130
322
TACONY-PALMYRA BR.
BETSY ROSS BR.
B. FRANKLIN BR.
DEL. MEM. BR.
WALT WHITMAN BR.
70
PENNSYLVANIA
4049
73
NJ. TPK.
A 10-mile stretch of the shipping lane was closed and
restrictions were temporarily placed on larger vessels in
the river after the oil spill. Ships in the area at the time
needed to be cleaned before leaving the river.
1
Delaware River Shoreline Oiling
Light
Very Light
Medium
Heavy
Unsurveyed
Oiling
MILES
0 5
*Map represents data as of Feb. 23; map does not
represent precise amounts or locations of all the oil spill
SALEM
Delaware
River
GLOUCESTER
CAMDEN
BURLINGTON
PHILA.
DELAWARE
CHESTER
DELAWARE NEW JERSEY
495
Site of
oil spill
Oil trench
sites
N
■ Command center closed in April.
■ Various vessels are continuing to
monitor and maintain the affected
areas.
■ 221,910 gallons of oily liquid have
been recovered.
■ 17,761 tons of oily solids (cleanup
materials and oil) have been
collected.
■ 389 birds have been released and
186 birds are reported deceased.
■ One year after the spill the Coast
Guard has declared the spill cleaned
except for a 200-yard stretch in
Paulsboro, the site near the spill.
Oil Spill Facts
The Venezuelan crude
from the Athos I spill is very
viscous and sticky, like peanut
butter. It is used to make asphalt
and weathers slowly.
Oil will rapidly spread
to a thin film on the
water surface.
Pooled oil accumulates in
subsurface depressions.
In the Athos I spill pooled
oil was found at the
collision site.
Cleaning Up the Spill
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
(1975–2004)
In thousands of gallons
Major Oil Spills
in the Delaware
River and Bay
Athos I
’04
B-115
’99
Coastal
Oil
Eagle
’95’89
Grand
Eagle
’85
Corinthos
’75
Presidente
Rivera
Fiddler crab
(male)
Evaporation
Looking Ahead
Before
The oil binds with sediment particles as it
saturates the ground. This requires cleanup
crews to remove particles and the oil together.
During After
Ground-Saturation Removal
oil
soil
particle
Booms
Within a week of the spill,
91,100 feet of booms
were set out along the
shoreline and in sensitive
areas to combat spread.
Skimming
Boats used booms to collect
oil from the water surface.
V-SORS
The Vessel-Submerged
Oil Recovery System
is a pipe with attached
chains and snares,
composed of thin
sheets of absorbent
polypropylene. It is
lowered into the water
and towed at low
speeds by a boat to
collect oil on the river
bottom.
Submerged oil
recovery
A work platform
with a crane
and a submersible
pump is lowered
to the site of pooled
oil. A diver uses
a maneuverable nozzle
and siphons the oil into
decanters on the
adjacent barge.
The oil is then
stored in containers,
and the water is
discharged into a
boomed area.
Warmer Weather
When the temperature rises, oil becomes
softer and “re-oiling events” or “seeping”
may occur. Cleanup officials consider dredging
the oil to be a last resort, since it would likely
reintroduce pollutants from sediment such as
lead and mercury into the water column.
The cost of cleanup is $175 million, of which $125 million
is from Tsakos Shipping, owner of Athos I. The remaining
$50 million is from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
Responders were allowed to use
various removal methods.
▼
▼
The oil’s chemical ingredients,
hydrocarbons, will change
to a gaseous form and evaporate
shortly after the spill. This can
contribute to air-quality issues.
The smell of oil at the scene
is evidence of this evaporation.
Precipitation will return the
hydrocarbons back to the land.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Damage Assessment
and Restoration will release a
technical data report scheduled
for release in 2006.Absorption
Oxidation, a chemical reaction that occurs when
the oil is exposed to air, will increase the density
of oil and cause it to sink. Oxidized oils are more
toxic to aquatic life. Tarballs may persist for
several months. Some have reached the shoreline
as far as the outer coast of the Delaware Bay. Tarball
The effects of the Athos I oil spill: On Thanksgiving weekend last year, the Greek tanker spilled an estimated 265,000 gallons of a thick Venezuelan
crude oil into the Delaware River • More than 215 miles of shoreline in the Delaware estuary were contaminated with oil • The spill happened when
most animals were prepared for winter and many plants were dormant • Migratory fish, birds and dolphins had already left
for warmer climates • While some of the damage was seen immediately, scientists worry that
the hidden effects could harm the environment for decades.
Imbalanced
A Natural World
Turtles
Adults can survive
a spill if steps
are taken to clean
them. Not so for baby
turtles. Offspring that
were cleaned and
rehabilitated in the
February 2000 oil
spill at the John
Heinz National
Wildlife Refuge at
Tinicum were born
deformed or died.
SOURCES: Thomas L. Bott, Ph.D., Stroud Water Research Center; Delaware River Basin Commission; Dr. Susan E. Ford, Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory; Susan Soltau Kilham, Ph.D., Department of Bioscience and
Biotechnology, Drexel University; Danielle A. Kreeger, Ph.D Delaware Estuary Program; Dr. Richard Larsen, Professor Emeritus, Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Resources, University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign; Ed Levine, James Hoff, NOAA; O'Brien & Gere; Christopher K. Sommerfield, College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware; James Spotilla, Ph.D., Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Drexel University;
Suzanne Thurman, Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute (MERR); Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, Inc; Maya K. van Rossum, Delaware River Keeper; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service ■ BOOKS
DataStreme Ocean, American Meteorological Society, 2004; Life in the Chesapeake Bay, Alice Jane Lippson & Robert L. Lippson, 1997; Living Resources of the Delaware Estuary, Delaware Estuary Program, 1995; The Scientific
Characterization of the Delaware Estuary, Delaware Estuary Program, 1996; Sources, Effects and Sinks of Hydrocarbons in the Aquatic Environment, The American Institute of Biological Sciences, 1976; Angler's Guide to Fish, 1997;
The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, 1977; Atlantic & Gulf Coasts, 1988 KEITA S. SULLIVAN and MARI A. SCHAEFER / The Philadelphia Inquirer
Soil
The soil is made
of more complex
material than a rocky
or sandy shoreline
and is a source
of nutrients
for plants.
A6 B www.philly.com THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Monday, November 28, 2005 THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER www.philly.com A7