Daria (Dasha) Panteleeva
FISH
Norway Arctic, 2024
The world's oceans, once vast and teeming with life, now face one of the most devastating ecological crises—oil pollution and its byproducts. Millions of tons of oil spill into the sea every year due to tanker accidents, leaks from drilling platforms, and industrial waste discharge. As an oil slick spreads across the water's surface, it blocks sunlight penetration, disrupting photosynthesis—an essential process for the survival of phytoplankton and algae, which are the foundation of the marine food chain.For fish, exposure to oil and petroleum products is deadly. Toxic compounds seep into their gills, causing oxygen deprivation, poisoning their organs, and disrupting reproductive processes. Fish larvae and eggs are especially vulnerable—contact with contaminated water leads to mass mortality. Even adult fish that survive oil exposure may develop genetic mutations that are passed on to future generations.
Oil pollution not only threatens fish and larger marine creatures but also fundamentally alters the composition of ocean microflora. Under normal conditions, microscopic organisms—bacteria, plankton, and algae—maintain a stable ecosystem, ensuring biochemical balance. However, when oil enters the water, hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria such as Alcanivorax and Marinobacter rapidly multiply, breaking down oil components.On one hand, these microorganisms help naturally cleanse the water. On the other hand, their overgrowth disrupts the ocean’s ecological balance. The excessive proliferation of such bacteria depletes oxygen levels, leading to the formation of "dead zones"—areas where marine life cannot survive. Moreover, oil pollution inhibits the growth of beneficial plankton, which negatively impacts food chains and oxygen distribution throughout marine ecosystems.



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