Nov. 3, 2004

Spill Solution

Oil spills are a major problem for marine life wherever they happen. In 1989 the Exxon Valdez ran aground in the Prince William Sound of Alaska. It spilled 232,000 barrels of oil into the sound, creating a major ocean disaster. Many otters and birds died as a result. When a bird's feathers become coated in oil, it loses its ability to remain waterproof. The ocean water soaks into the bird and the bird drowns or freezes as a result. Many of the wildlife die from swallowing the poisonous oil. It is estimated that only 8 percent of the oil spilled in that disaster was actually recovered; the rest was dispersed into the environment by the storms of the Arctic.

There are a few ways to clean up oil from the ocean, but none of them are perfect. First the spill is contained by putting up barriers in the water so that it does not spread into other areas. The oil floats on top of the water, creating a layer above the seawater. One way to clean up the oil is to skim it off the surface, another is to soak it up, and another is to try to sink it to the bottom of the ocean.

Investigate the different ways that oil can be cleaned up from the ocean with this activity.

What You Need

• Large dishpan
• Water
• Cooking oil
• Drinking straw
• Sand
• Cotton balls
• Paper towels

What To Do

1. Pour water into the dishpan until it is filled halfway. Pour enough oil to create a layer on top of the water. That's your oil spill.
2. Imagine you are on the task force to clean up this spill. What will you try first?
3. Experiment with the straw, sand, cotton balls, paper towels, and anything else you can think of to remove the oil. What works best? Can you imagine a spill that consists of over 100,000 barrels of oil?

Activity excerpted by permission of Independent Publishers Group from Oceans: An Activity Guide for Ages 6–9 by Nancy F. Castaldo. Published by Chicago Review Press, distributed by Independent Publishers Group (www.ipgbook.com). Copyright © 2002 by Nancy F. Castaldo.

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