Any coastal area can fall victim to an oil spill from some sort of ship or boat. These can happen many times throughout the world. When they do they can have a devastating effect on the local economy and the environment. Islands can be particularly vulnerable to spills though. They end up with so much traffic in their waters, accidents can happen. A major accident can literally shut down most of the activity on the island. It can also ruin the fishing waters that many tourists come to rely on when they vacation there. It can also kill the reefs that grow. It obviously can hurt tourism dollars as well. Many people have their favorite scuba spots. Losing this attraction can certainly kill off an island from the map when it comes to it being a top vacation spot.

When it does happen, authorities must act fast to contain it. If the ship is prepared, they will help with the spill. By everyone teaming up, the chances of containing the spill increase dramatically. So the next time you hear about an oil spill near an island, think of all of the people that may soon be affected by the negative results from it.