Looking back after 20 years

Transcription

1 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: Long Term persistence and and Long term effects Looking back after 20 years Dr. Stanley Jeep Rice Auke Bay Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center Juneau, AK 1989

2 Comparisons & Lessons Learned Exxon Valdez Deepwater Horizon 2010 Bottom Line: What did we learn with EV that informs DWH spill?

3 For Alaskans, the oil spill is NOT over! Review by Stanley D. Rice Exxon Valdez Oil Spill 1989 When will the spill be over?

4 The Spill will be over when: 1. No more litigation Review by Stanley D. Rice 2. No more oil 3. No more Effects

5 The Spill will be over when: 1. No more litigation Review by Stanley D. Rice 2. No more oil 3. No more Effects Right Now- 0 for 3

6 The Spill will be over when: No more litigation 2 or 3 law suits settled, Review by Stanley D. Rice 1991 natural resource settlement 1995 civil case 3. Reopener clausepending

7 First: quick comparison of both spill events PWS Exxon Valdez Oil spill GOM Deepwater Horizon Oil spill Second: 5 big wows from the Exxon Valdez spill

8 First: Quick comparison of both spill events PWS Exxon Valdez Oil spill GOM Deepwater Horizon Oil spill No two spill events are the same

9 First: Quick comparison of both spill events PWS Exxon Valdez Oil spill GOM Deepwater Horizon Oil spill No two spill events are the same Event scale 11 M Gal Volume of oil 250 M Gal 3 day first land fall 40 day Viscous Oil chemistry Light thin NO Dispersants 1 M Gal NO Burning Yes NO Skimming Yes 3 Politics 85

10 First: Quick comparison of both spill events PWS Exxon Valdez Oil spill GOM Deepwater Horizon Oil spill No two spill events are the same $1 B settlement? Most studied spill, ever?

11 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: 1989 Spill Event Review by Stanley D. Rice Long Term persistence Long term Effects

12 Exxon Valdez Good Friday Columbia Glacier Valdez Arm Goes off course Grounds out on Bligh Reef 8 of 11 Cargo Tanks are torn open Ice Bergs Bligh Reef

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15 Highest priority- liter remaining cargo off

16 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill NOAA HAZMAT Trajectory Model March 24, 1989 Day One Legend 53 particles/sq mile 53 to 13 particles/sq mile 13 to 3 particles/sq mile 3 to 1 particles/sq mile Each particle represents ~1,100 gallons of oil (twenty 55 gallon drums) J.A. Galt et al. 1991

17 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill NOAA HAZMAT Trajectory Model March 25, 1989 Day Two Legend 53 particles/sq mile 53 to 13 particles/sq mile 13 to 3 particles/sq mile 3 to 1 particles/sq mile Each particle represents ~1,100 gallons of oil (twenty 55 gallon drums) J.A. Galt et al. 1991

18 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill NOAA HAZMAT Trajectory Model March 26, 1989 Day Three Legend 53 particles/sq mile 53 to 13 particles/sq mile 13 to 3 particles/sq mile 3 to 1 particles/sq mile Each particle represents ~1,100 gallons of oil (twenty 55 gallon drums) J.A. Galt et al. 1991

19 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill NOAA HAZMAT Trajectory Model March 27, 1989 Day Four Legend 53 particles/sq mile 53 to 13 particles/sq mile 13 to 3 particles/sq mile 3 to 1 particles/sq mile Each particle represents ~1,100 gallons of oil (twenty 55 gallon drums) J.A. Galt et al. 1991

20 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill NOAA HAZMAT Trajectory Model March 28, 1989 Day Five Legend 53 particles/sq mile 53 to 13 particles/sq mile 13 to 3 particles/sq mile 3 to 1 particles/sq mile Each particle represents ~1,100 gallons of oil (twenty 55 gallon drums) J.A. Galt et al. 1991

21 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill NOAA HAZMAT Trajectory Model March 29, 1989 Day Six Legend 53 particles/sq mile 53 to 13 particles/sq mile 13 to 3 particles/sq mile 3 to 1 particles/sq mile Each particle represents ~1,100 gallons of oil (twenty 55 gallon drums) J.A. Galt et al. 1991

22 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill NOAA HAZMAT Trajectory Model March 30, 1989 Day Six Legend 53 particles/sq mile 53 to 13 particles/sq mile 13 to 3 particles/sq mile 3 to 1 particles/sq mile Each particle represents ~1,100 gallons of oil (twenty 55 gallon drums) J.A. Galt et al. 1991

23 Spill Zone After the first week Prince William Sound Valdez 11 Million gallons 70 Knot winds day Km

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26 Predictable effects Acute wildlife loss estimates included: 4000 Sea Otters 500,000 Birds

27 Short Answer: Lots Second: UN- EXPECTED 5 big wows from the Exxon Valdez spill Long Term Effects, persistence

28 1. Long term effects (Short term exposure) Killer Whale Story

29 Killer Whale biology Long Lived Low reproductive rates Organized along Matri-lines > discrete pods Two types: Residents- fish eating Transients- Marine Mammal eating

30 Killer Whale biology Individuals photo-identified since 1984

31 Two pods photographed in oil slicks AB and AT1 pods

32 PWS Orca Survival After the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Residents / Transients 40 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill 35 Number of Whales AB (fish) AT1 (mm) Resident Transient Year Matkin 2006

33 2. Embryos are sensitive- PPB! Pink Salmon embryos , plus 4 more years Surprising, Perplexing

34 75% PWS salmon spawn IT

35 Approximate 1989 conditions

36 : Lab Tests prove that exposed embryos to low doses will affect Adult returns Design: -Long term exposures (Months) - Low ppb exposures -Released tagged Fry - Assess when Adults return

37 Pink Salmon Eggs Incubation in Oiled Rocks Extreme 5.22 g/kg Control 0 g/kg oiled-rock columns

38 Adult Returns Reduced 20% at 5 PPB 1.5 % survival of returning adults * * 0 Control Exposure to Eggs (ppb PAH)

39 Adult returns Reduced (Eggs exposed in 18 ppb) Returning adults per 1000 eggs 10 Control Exposed BY 1995 BY

40 Pink Salmon Summary ADFG- 4 year effect in Streams ABL- Changed toxicity paradigm Toxicity from ppm to ppb exposures Fewer Adults return

41 3. Oil persists - How much? Where? 1999

42 Persistence? 2001 Survey: Yes! PWS 91 sites - 53 sites with oil - 38 sites without oil (9000 pits, 1 summer)

43 Diggers Working in Boulder Field

44 Light sheen Oil drops 2001 Subsurface Oil > Surface 80,000 L estimated Heavy

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46 Vertical Distribution of Intertidal Subsurface Oil K L 3 % 23 % 40 % 23 % 11 %

47 Summary of Oil Persistence More oil than expected Lots in the lower intertidal zone

48 4. Lingering oil impacts- Sea Otter Recovery for 20 yrs

49 Sea Otter Population Trends Western Prince William Sound Pre-spill Northern Knight Island Year Population size

50 Sea Otter Population Trends Western Prince William Sound Pre-spill Northern Knight Island Herring Bay Year Population size

51 Was it food? Was it oil? Recovery was Incomplete by Late 1990s Photo courtesy of R. Davis Both feed in the lower intertidal

52 Both Need to eat A lot (winter) 25 % Body Wt Per day Photo courtesy of R. Davis

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55 HOW Many IT pits?

56 Time Depth Recorder Implants to Estimate Extent of Intertidal Foraging 20 0 Depth (m) Time (hrs)

57 Shallow dives for Mothers with pups

58 Forage dive depth distributions 12 females and 4 males PWS >95 Depth (5 m bins) 5-10 <5 int mean female mean males Frequency %

59 How many intertidal pits do they dig? data, n=16 at N Knight Island 65 Otters dig about 200,000 pits / yr 4 million pits over 20 years

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61 5. Watch out for the ecosystem surprises! Pacific Herring of PWS continue to struggle in 2007

62 PWS Herring herring population spill crash Short Term Impacts - yes yr class missing but did Not affect population Long Term Impacts - Huge crash; related to oil?

63 1993: Was it Oil? herring population spill crash Direct Oil? = No Indirect Oil? Possible? (no where else in AK has there been a crash) Big Problem - Recovery continues to be poor 89 93

64 Lack of Recovery- Why?

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