Ocean Oil Pollution

Drop by drop—that is how most oil enters the oceans. Catastrophic spills make the headlines, but it is the chronic dribble, dribble, dribble of seemingly small inputs that supplies most of the oil polluting the world’s oceans.- Oceanus magazine

I'll tell ya a little story 'bout a man named Clyde, dumped his motor oil an' all his chickens died - State of Maine radio ad, sung to the tune of "The Beverly Hillbillys"

Intro: "In recent decades scientists have made substantial progress in understanding how oil enters the oceans, what happens to it, and how it affects marine organisms and ecosystems. This knowledge has led to regulations, practices, and decisions that have helped us reduce sources of pollution, prevent and respond to spills, clean up contaminated environments, wisely dredge harbors, and locate new petroleum handling facilities. " - Farrington, McDowell

In this exercise, you will take notes on pollution of  the ocean by oil. Your notetaking will be organized using the management cycle of inventory, planning and implementation that you learned about earlier.

Objectives: When you are done with this exercise, you should be able to (1) Explain how our use of oil resources impacts water resources in Connecticut, such as ponds, rivers and the Long Island Sound ecosystem.  (2) Describe how we can lower the amount of oil pollution in the worlds oceans.

Instructions: (1) Look over the organizational outline below. This lists the information about ocean oil pollution that you should look for as you read the articles handed out in class and available online. (2) First read the two articles handed out in class: Oil Pollution from the Smithsonian Institution and Mixing Oil and Water from the Woods Hole Oceanographic  Institution.  As you read, take notes using the following outline to help you remember what you understand about oil pollution as you read. (3) Use a general search page to find more information to add to your understanding and to these notes.
 

Management  of anything, including natural resources, is a cycle of three steps:

1.0 Inventory

1.1 What are the main sources of oil pollution? What kinds of oil get into the ocean? What are the amounts, locations, etc of oil pollution?

 

1.2 Effects of oil pollution.

 

1.3 How do the natural processes of the ocean that you have learned about this marking period affect pollution of ocean ecosystems by oil?

 

2.0 Planning - What can be done at various levels to decrease the problems associated with ocean oil pollution?

2.1 Internationally

 

2.2 United States

 

2.3 Connecticut

 

2.4 At the local town level

 

2.5 Individuals

 

3.0 Implementation - what is being done about it at various levels?

3.1 Internationally

 

3.2 United States

 

3.3 Connecticut

 

3.4 At the local town level

 

3.5 Individuals