July 8, 2021, by Alex McCarrel

Last week, four SSSC staff members and technicians embarked on a week-long research expedition to monitor established sites across picturesque Prince William Sound for the presence of oil from the 1989 Exxon-Valdez oil spill. The selected sites are still contaminated with subsurface oil that has remained relatively unchanged since making landfall in 1989. SSSC is partnered with NOAA and the Exxon-Valdez Trustee Council to monitor these established sites for the presence of oil as part of a long-term monitoring effort.

A great many holes were dug, calluses formed, and rocks moved, in order to randomly sample beaches for subsurface oil. Tasks during the week included establishing grid lines to randomly sample oil on rocky beaches, collecting oil samples if found, and describing the oil location. Five beaches in PWS were surveyed, 190 holes dug, and sadly, yet unsurprisingly, all five beaches had various amounts of oil present.

Despite the lingering presence of oil, the breathtaking flora and fauna of Prince William Sound did not disappoint. Orca pods, humpback whales, and Dall’s porpoises all made an appearance, as well as sea otters, Steller sea lions, and puffins!

Ultimately, the goals of this project include assessing oil persistence, the chemistry of the oil, and the bioavailability of the oil for key prey species. The data collected on this trip and from past studies is among the longest known records of spilled oil and provides scientists with invaluable information on how long oil from spills last in subarctic environments.