Final answer:
Oil spills can harm marine life, damage ecosystems, and be challenging to clean up. Strategies for cleaning up oil spills include using booms, hosing oil from beaches, and utilizing specialized bacteria to degrade the oil.
Step-by-step explanation:
Oil spills can have significant impacts on coastal communities. One major consequence is the harm caused to marine life, including birds, sea lions, and seals. The fur and feathers of these animals can become matted due to the oil, leading to problems with insulation and buoyancy. Additionally, oil spills can damage waterways and ecosystems, resulting in long-term negative effects on biodiversity and net primary productivity. Cleaning up oil spills is a challenging and costly process that can take many years to achieve even partial recovery. Some strategies for cleaning up oil spills include using floating booms to corral the oil, hosing oil from beaches, and solubilizing and degrading the oil using specialized bacteria.