Collected about six months after the spill, these mussels demonstrate some sublethal effects of the 

 West Falmouth oil spill. The Wild Harbor mussels on the left are emaciated compared to the healthy 

 mussels from nearby Sippewissett Marsh which are plump with eggs and sperm. 



Where is the 

 West Falmouth 

 Oil Today? 



Oil is a complex mixture of slowly 

 degrading hydrocarbons. The degrada- 

 tion of oil is especially slow in environ- 

 ments such as mud flats, marshes and 

 muddy bottom sediments. The West 

 Falmouth studies show that in areas 

 where heavy oiling occurred, chronic 

 oil pollution has lasted for years. 



Although techniques of analytical 

 chemistry have documented the fate of 

 the oil spilled by the Florida, the key to 

 further understanding of the impact of 

 the spill is in looking at the biological 

 effects. 



Fate of Oil 



• Heavy oiling occurred at subtidal 

 and intertidal areas. 



• Plants and animals were contam- 

 inated with No. 2 fuel oil. 



• The No. 2 fuel oil persisted for 

 years after the spill, clearly 

 refuting the frequently stated as- 

 sumption that all light oils are 

 quickly dissipated in the environ- 

 ment. 



Heavy oiled areas served as 

 sources of low level chronic oil 

 repollution: a single spill can 

 cause a chronic oil pollution 

 problem. 



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