South Korea oil spill devastates marine life: official report

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2008

SEOUL (AFP) — South Korea's worst oil spill has devastated marine life, halving the number of sea plants and mollusks found off the western coast, a government report said Thursday.

The oil leak also threatened the underwater food chain, endangering fish and sea birds, the Environment Ministry report said.

Surveys following the spill last December showed mollusk populations had plunged to 56 creatures of five species per square metre from 133 creatures of eight species as mussels were found to have been considerably contaminated by remnants of crude oil.

The density of seaweeds per square metre fell 43 percent from February 2007 and phyllospadix iwatensis, a seagrass, also declined 47 percent.

"Because seagrasses and seaweeds make up the lowest part...