Ecological disaster in Lima: Marine fauna could take about 10 years to recover

The images obtained in recent days have been shocking: birds floating lifeless in the middle of a black sea or unable to move due to the viscous layer of oil that completely covers them. Lima It is undoubtedly facing one of the worst ecological disasters in recent years. One wonders: what effects will this oil spill in marine fauna?

Worrying outlook

The impact of this disaster on the species of the coast of Lima has several levels. The first refers to direct exposure to crude oil. In the case of mammals, such as sea ​​lions, come into contact with this oily liquid . In the birds the situation is more violent because there is rapid oral ingestion, which can cause death in a few hours; In addition, because their feathers are covered in oil, some cannot fly or float, that is, they will not survive.

But that is not all, Juan Carlos Riveros, scientific director of Oceana Peru, indicates that certain components of the crude oil, such as aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals, especially in birds, fish And till turtles.

The next level is associated with the degradation of crude oil. And it is that . There, all the other elements of the food chain come into contact with the crude oil particles and begin to become contaminated, among which the octopuses, the shells and the cries.

“. […] We don’t know what happens down there, but the seabed is an important place for the development of other marine animals that are part of the food chain of other species, including the human being”, says Joanna Alfaro, professor of the Marine Biology course at the Universidad Científica del Sur and director of ProDelphinus. And it is that if the marine food chain is affected, the expert emphasizes.

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Regarding how long it will take for the marine fauna to recover, Alfaro affirms that it will depend on how quickly the oil residue and start the restoration work.

For his part, Riveros believes that . In small animals, such as crustaceans, it can take two seasons.

“”, comments Riveros.

“There are no clear protocols for what to do in these cases. […] . It will depend on the speed with which our authorities act”, concludes Alfaro.