Oil in the Environment: Legacies and Lessons of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

What light does nearly 25 years of scientific study of the Exxon Valdez oil spill shed on the fate and effects of a spill? How can the results help in assessing future spills? How can ecological risks be assessed and quantified? In this, the first book on the effects of Exxon Valdez in 15 years, scientists directly involved in studying the spill provide a comprehensive perspective on, and synthesis of, scientific information on long-term spill effects. The coverage is multidisciplinary, with chapters discussing a range of issues including effects on biota, successes and failures of post-spill studies and techniques, and areas of continued disagreement. An even-handed and critical examination of more than two decades of scientific study, this is an invaluable guide for studying future oil spills and, more broadly, for unraveling the consequences of any large environmental disruption. For access to a full bibliography of related publications, follow the Resources link at www.cambridge.org/9781107027176.

John A. Wiens is Chief Scientist at PRBO Conservation Science in California, USA, and Winthrop Research Professor in the School of Plant Biology at the University of Western Australia. He has served on the faculties of Oregon State University, the University of New Mexico and Colorado State University, where he was a University Distinguished Professor. From 2002 to 2008 he was Lead Scientist with The Nature Conservancy. His work emphasizes landscape ecology, conservation and the ecology of birds.