Oil Spill Near Trinidad and Tobago Threatens the Health of the Caribbean Ecosystem

Photo Credit: Ohrim/shutterstock: Volunteers clean ocean coast oil after tanker wreck in Mauritius.

By Kati Wilkes

Twenty-four miles from the coast of Venezuela, near Trinidad and Tobago, sits a slowly sinking oil tanker that threatens to  cause one of the greatest natural disasters to date. The 1989 Exxon-Valdez oil spill in Alaska spilled nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil, and is considered to be one of the worst oil spills in history. It covered 1,300 miles of coastline with oil slick, and killed hundreds of thousands of seabirds and various types of marine life. Now, nearly 30 years later, the impact of the spill is still felt, and remains a reminder of the devastating environmental impact that spilled oil can have. If the Venezuelan oil tanker, FSO Nabarima, were to spill its 1.3 million barrels of oil, its effects would be five times that of the Exxon-Valdez spill. 

Environmental groups, such as Fishermen and Friends of the Sea, went to the sight of the sinking oil tanker to raise awareness of the disaster that is set to occur, yet no government has taken any action to stop the tanker from sinking. The organization seeks to inform the public about the threat that the spilled oil poses to coral reefs and the general long term biodiversity of the region. Nearly 50,000 fishermen rely on that region of the ocean, and an oil spill would drastically impact their ability to find fish and other healthy marine life. 

Though Fishermen and Friends of the Sea have been the most active organization in drawing attention to the looming natural disaster, the first individual to speak publicly about his concerns was Venezuelan oil worker Eudis Girot. He posted his concerns via Twitter as early as August 30th. However, his warnings were largely ignored, as evidenced by the lack of response by the governments of both Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago. 

In his tweet, he warns that the conditions onboard the tanker are very poor, and that it is quickly deteriorating. Girot goes on to tweet in Spanish that the “lower deck and equipment is 3 meters underwater.”

Though it’s impossible to predict the specific effects that the FSO Nabarima oil spill will have on the marine ecosystem in the region, it’s clear that general sea life will be negatively impacted. Once oil has spilled any animal or wildlife that comes into contact with the contaminated water will itself become oily. 

“One of the things that can happen especially with marine mammals and birds is that the oil will absorb into their skin, and the reason that is harmful is because it will allow certain contaminants that are in the oil to get into their skin, which will cause toxic poisoning,” said Athenian science teacher Brittany SchlaeGuada.

Even if an animal were not to come into direct contact with the oily water, its food might be contaminated. 

“Either their food or plankton or whatever they are eating are now coated in oil so they are also ingesting it, which is a stomach problem,” SchlaeGuada said.

In addition to these detrimental effects on marine animals, marine plant life will most likely also be affected. When oil spreads and becomes a layer on top of the ocean it begins to block sunlight that normally would make its way down to the lower depths of the water. 

“The reason that becomes a problem is because marine plants need sunlight to photosynthesize. So, when that happens they aren’t able to get the sunlight they need to produce their own food,” said SchlaeGuada. 

In addition to these more general effects of spilled oil, the biodiversity of the region is in specific danger, because of the vast swaths of coral reefs that are at risk. The reefs in the Venezuela and Trinidad & Tobago regions are key to the health of coral ecosystems of the entire Caribbean. 

Each coral region that originates from Venezuela & Trinidad and Tobago is genetically unique and impacts a larger reef system that reaches as far as the Florida coast. These reefs evolved from Trinidadian corals and various types of bacteria that surrounded the coral. Other coral systems throughout the Caribbean depend on the nutrients and healthy bacteria that these reefs provide. The effects an oil spill would have on these already climate-stressed reefs will be detrimental. 

The spilled oil is nearly impossible to completely clean up and will impact regions of the ocean for decades to come. These pollutants become a long term problem, as they are cycled through the plant and animal life of the region. Oil is a perpetual toxin and the spilling of it needs to be properly addressed if there is any hope of curbing its long term effects. 

Though oil spills aren’t necessarily a new phenomenon, no real action has been taken to stop these man-made natural disasters. In reality, the possible FSO Nabarima spill will kill hundreds of thousands of innocent marine animals, severely deteriorate the health of the Caribbean ecosystem, and put thousands of fishermen out of work. Many remain unsure if the governments of Venezuela and Trinidad & Tobago will make the next move.