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1. Most ships carry oil on board as fuel
or cargo. The Proteus is a medium sized oil tanker that can carry almost
120,000,000 litres of crude oil. The Proteus is 250 metres
long and 45 metres wide. |
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2. If the Proteus were to have a major accident like breaking
in half, the oil cargo could spill out into the sea. This could
be terrible for the environment. |
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3. Swimming in the sea where there's been an oil spill is very harmful
to animals, birds and fish. |
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4. Oil can get into the bodies of fish, crabs, prawns and other marine
life. They too can die from oil poisoning. Big fish will sometimes
swim away from an oil spill. |
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5. When there is a spill, the oil spreads across the ocean surface.
How can we stop it? One way is to put a boom, like a little
floating fence, around the oil spill. It keeps the oil from
spreading even further. |
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6. A skimmer is used to collect the oil. It works like a vacuum cleaner
and sucks up the spilt oil. |
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7. Special chemicals called dispersants can also be used to help clean
up the oil. They dissolve the oil into tiny particles which
eventually mix into the water. |
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8. Animals and birds living close to the seashore are often covered
by the oil. People collect the wildlife and gently clean their
feathers or fur with warm water and mild soap. Cleaned wildlife
are kept safe and warm until they dry out, gradually return
to normal and are released. |
