Publication Summary

As little as a quart of spilled oil, diesel or gasoline can contaminate acres of water and can prove deadly to all forms of marine life. Juvenile fish, shellfish larvae and other fragile and essential sea life are extremely sensitive to even small amounts of oil and other petroleum products. Small spills (even a few drops) from inattentive or irresponsible fueling or from discharging oily bilge water can permanently harm our waters and degrade the enjoyment and productivity of recreational and commercial boating. A rainbow sheen around fueling docks or signs of bilge wastes indicate that damage is occurring. The accumulation and persistence of these oil products continually threaten our entire marine environment.