Oil Spills and Offshore Drilling

Oil spills and offshore drilling rank as the fifth most destructive ocean pollution source. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster released 210 million gallons of crude, but chronic leaks from routine operations add thousands more tonnes of oil and drilling chemicals annually via permitted discharges and ballast water. This persistent input degrades marine habitats more insidiously than the episodic catastrophes that dominate headlines.