Sound, Alaska following the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In addition to removing surface oil, it removed or debilitated much of the mid-intertidal shoreline marine life.
Reprintedfrom COASTAL ZONE '93 Proceedings, 8th Symposium on Coastal and Ocean Management Sponsored by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association!ASCE Held July 19-23, 1993, New Orleans, Louisiana
Recovery of Shoreline Ecosystems Following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and Subsequent Treatment Alan J. Mearnsl Abstract High-pressure, hot-water washing was evaluated as one of several countermeasures for cleaning oiled shorelines. This was the primary treatment method for nearly all treated shorelines in Prince William Sound, Alaska following the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In addition to removing surface oil, it removed or debilitated much of the mid-intertidal shoreline marine life. Monitoring was conducted at least annually, 1990 through 1992, to determine the extent to which this treatment enhanced or delayed recovery of epibiota and infauna. Chemical, physical, and biological sampling was conducted at more than 30 unoiled, oiled, and oiled and treated sites. Oil concentrations in surface sediments and bivalve mollusks decreased over time, but oil in various stages of weathering and degredation was present at all oiled sites throughout the investigation. By September 1991, the diversity of epibiota and infauna at oiled but untreated sites was restored to conditions similar to those at unoiled sites. By contrast, recovery of various species and measures of community structure at treated sites continues to Jag and may take several more years to recover. Introduction Oil spills are the most visible and dramatic forms of coastal pollution. As a result, the Nation's Federal On-Scene Coordinators (FOSCs) receive considerable pressure to conduct a rapid and complete cleanup. Oil spill cleanup methods now run the gamut from dispersants and "oil eating" microbes to on-site combustion and high-energy cleansing such as hot water. Time rarely permits thorough assessment of the benefits and impacts of the arsenal of response methods. The FOSC and supporting 1 Leader, Biological Assessment Team, Hazardous Materials Response and Assessments Division, Office of Resources Coordination and Assessments National
