Long-term ecosystem response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill
Peterson, C.H.; Rice, S.D.; Short, J.W.; Esler, D.; Bodkin, J.L.; Ballachey, B.E.; Irons, D.B. (2003). Long-term ecosystem response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Science (Wash.) 302(5653): 2082-2086. https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1084282
In: Science (Washington). American Association for the Advancement of Science: New York, N.Y. ISSN 0036-8075; e-ISSN 1095-9203, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Peterson, C.H.
- Rice, S.D.
- Short, J.W.
- Esler, D.
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- Bodkin, J.L.
- Ballachey, B.E.
- Irons, D.B.
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| Abstract |
The ecosystem response to the 1989 spill of oil from the Exxon Valdez into Prince William Sound, Alaska, shows that current practices for assessing ecological risks of oil in the oceans and, by extension, other toxic sources should be changed. Previously, it was assumed that impacts to populations derive almost exclusively from acute mortality. However, in the Alaskan coastal ecosystem, unexpected persistence of toxic subsurface oil and chronic exposures, even at sublethal levels, have continued to affect wildlife. Delayed population reductions and cascades of indirect effects postponed recovery. Development of ecosystem-based toxicology is required to understand and ultimately predict chronic, delayed, and indirect long-term risks and impacts. |
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