Distribution and weathering of shoreline oil one year after the Gulf War oil spill

Detailed studies of the intertidal habitats along the Saudi Arabian coast conducted 1 year after the Gulf War oil spill as part of the Mt Mitchell cruise show that there is a striking correlation between the nearshore geomorphology and the persistence of intertidal oil. The most severely impacted areas studied were several halophyte marsh/algal mat complexes and mudflats at the heads of sheltered bays, where all the halophytes were dead and there was no sign of living epibiota in the mid to upper intertidal areas. The abundant burrows were heavily oiled, with some containing liquid black oil to depths of over 40 cm. The deep penetration of oil into the burrows and probable slow weathering rates of the oil could result in many years of pollution of these sheltered habitats. The presence of bubble sand, a sponge-like sand deposit with porosities probably as high at ±50%, resulted in penetration of the oil exceeding 40 cm. This deep oil will also remain in the sediment for many years, because of the slow erosion rates that occur in these sheltered environments.