Question

On March 24, 1989, an oil tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and spilled millions of liters of crude oil. The graph shows pink salmon populations in Prince William Sound from 1970 to 1999.

What do these data suggest about the effect the oil spill had on pink salmon?

a) Pink salmon were nearly eliminated after the oil spill.
b) Pink salmon populations seemed to be minimally affected.
c) Pink salmon populations steadily declined in the 10 years following the spill.
d) Pink salmon populations declined and never fully recovered.

Answer 1

The oil spill had a lasting negative impact on the pink salmon population in Prince William Sound. The data suggests that the effect of the oil spill on pink salmon populations was that they declined and never fully recovered (option d).

Step-by-step explanation:

The data suggests that the effect of the oil spill on pink salmon populations was that they declined and never fully recovered.

The graph shows a significant drop in the pink salmon population after the oil spill in 1989, and the population remained low throughout the 10 years following the spill.

This indicates that the oil spill had a lasting negative impact on the pink salmon in Prince William Sound.