Ingesting oil-tainted food can lead to the damage of internal organs like the liver.
Oil spills have various effects on different species of marine animals. These effects can be classified as physical and chemical. The physical effects of oil spills on marine creatures result from the physical nature of the oil, while the chemical effects are due to the toxic components of the oil.
Hypothermia
When there is an oil spill, the oil tends to float on top of the water. This surface oil affects marine animals like birds and seals by coating their bodies with the viscous, sticky substance. Spilt oil only gets stickier over time due to weathering, causing the oil to adhere to the bodies of marine animals even more. A coating of oil on marine birds like seagulls and other marine creatures like seals can lead to hypothermia by destroying or reducing the insulation and waterproofing qualities of their feathers and fur, respectively. This affects seal pups more than adult seals because seal pups have a wooly fur, known as lanugo, which they need for insulation until they can develop blubber. When the lanugo is coated with oil, the pups are more vulnerable to hypothermia.
Feeding
Marine mammals quickly lose weight when they cannot feed as a result of the contamination of their habitats by oil. Marine birds become dehydrated as they reject the foul-tasting water and starve as they limit their diving and swimming to find food; they also become easy prey because they are unable to fly with their matted feathers. Dugongs are affected as they find it difficult to eat with oil clinging to the sensory hair around their mouths. When oil sticks to the bodies of seal pups and their mothers, it causes confusion because seal pups and their mothers rely on their sense of smell to identify each other. The oil disguises the smell of the seals, leading to rejection and abandonment of seal pups by their mothers and the starvation of seal pups.
Drowning
Oil spills can lead to the drowning of fur seal pups as a result of their flippers sticking to their bodies. Birds are also vulnerable to drowning because the oil on their feathers has some weight and their sticky feathers are unable to trap enough air to keep them buoyant.
Toxic Effects
Oil spills damage the bodies of marine animals; for instance, oil damages the eyes of marine turtles by causing conjunctivitis, ulcers and even blindness. It also causes irritation of the skin and nasal cavities and damage to red blood cells. Ingesting oil-tainted food damages or suppresses the immune system of marine animals, leading to bacterial or fungal infections. Such tainted food could be crustaceans, mollusks, algae or fish. Oil also affects the reproductive habits of marine animals by reducing the number of eggs and changing the characteristics of the eggs, such as the thickness of the eggshells.
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