Tech and AIA Tanker Collision Threatens One of the UK’s Most...

A Tanker Collision Threatens One of the UK’s Most Important Coastlines

-


THIS ARTICLE IS republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

An oil tanker carrying jet fuel was recently hit by a cargo ship while at anchor 13 miles off the east coast of England. This set off a series of large explosions and a huge plume of black smoke, while a still unknown quantity of jet fuel has spilled into the sea.

We’re marine ecologists at the University of Hull, the city nearest the incident. We know this coast and these seas very well. While it’s too early to say exactly what the consequences will be, we do know that this spill puts at risk one of Britain’s most important stretches of coastline—both for conservation and for commercial fishing.

The collision occurred in the Holderness offshore marine protected area, a region of coarse sandy seabed that supports lots of different species. These include the ocean quahog, an edible clam known to live for over 500 years. The area also acts as a nursery for fish like lemon sole, plaice, and European sprat.

This area overlaps with those designated to protect harbor porpoises and the nearby Humber Estuary and its mud flats, sand dunes, and marshes where thousands of birds spend the winters alongside other important species, such as lampreys and gray seals.

The UK’s largest mainland breeding seabird colony is found just north of the collision site, along the Flamborough and Filey coast. More than 250,000 birds nest there every year, including impressive numbers of guillemots and razorbills. It also hosts species of conservation concern like gannets, kittiwakes, and puffins.

Image may contain Animal Beak Bird Person and Puffin

Seabirds return to Flamborough for the start of nesting season in March.

Photograpg: Ifetayo Stewart/ Getty Images

To the south are other protected coastlines and an important breeding site for grey seals. The Wash, where four rivers empty into the same large square-shaped estuary, is found 70 kilometers to the south, in the general direction of drift from the tanker collision. The area has large salt marshes and is another important site for over-wintering birds.



Source link

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest news

Ripple Breaks Ground In Middle East: Secures First Payment License

Ripple has become the first blockchain payments provider to receive official licensing from the Dubai Financial Services Authority...

Top Crypto Headlines: Telegram Founder Gets Freedom, GENIUS Act, Pakistan Cryptocurrency Council (PCC)

SummaryTelegram founder Pavel Durov is now free to visit any country.Cynthia Lummis praised the upcoming approval of the...

Toncoin (TON) Skyrockets by Double Digits, Bitcoin (BTC) Holds Steady at $84K (Weekend Watch)

Bitcoin’s price performance over the weekend continues in a calm fashion as the asset has remained close to...

Advertisement

Chainlink Unlocks 19,000,000 LINK Worth $262,000,000, Sends Majority to Binance: On-Chain Data

Blockchain oracle service Chainlink has undergone a quarterly token unlock of 19 million LINK worth over a quarter...

Sun Home Luminar Sauna Review: No Steam

On the plus side, the finishes are very nice. It looks and feels sturdy. The faint scent of...

Must read

Ripple Breaks Ground In Middle East: Secures First Payment License

Ripple has become the first blockchain payments provider...

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you