Oil spills and drilling have an effect on our environment. It is estimated that since humans began drilling the earth, we have drilled more than 1,700 holes into the ocean floor (Normile & Kerr 2003). Oil drilling can lead to the accumulation of oil deposits under thick layers of salt. Drilling to a depth of around 4,000 m involves extreme conditions; the oil itself may be around 200°C, while the temperature of the ocean floor may be just above freezing. This would cause the pipe to burst, which would have a high chance of resulting in an oil spill. The average number of marine spills per year increased from 47 per year (1968-1977) to 188 ruptures and 228 leaks per year (Jernelöv 2010). Oil spills are damaging to the environment and each year about 1% of the oil transported across the ocean (around 1.5 billion tonnes of oil) is spilled (Jernelöv 2010). One article in particular mentions that there are two types of spills: surface oil spills and deep-sea oil spills. Surface oil spills are more detrimental to the health of species that occupy that space, such as seabirds. . Additionally, organisms living in shallow waters are affected by oil spills. These include salt marshes and mangroves (Peterson et. al 2012). The oil itself is conventional or unconventional depending on its quality. Conventional oil is light and flows easily from underground reservoirs. Unconventional oil is heavy and thick, making its use less desirable (Hirsch et. al 2005). From small oil spills to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and others like it, oil spills are one of the most damaging effects that oil has on the environment. environment. Oil drilling, most of which results in spills and other negative environmental impacts, it...... middle of paper ......nce. 300:410-412Nowak R. 2005. Greener lubricants clean up oil drilling. New scientist. 186:26.Peterson CH, Anderson SS, Cherr GN, Ambrose RF, Anghera S, Bay S, Blum M, Condon R, Dean TA, Graham M, Guzy M, Hampton S, Joye S, Lambrinos J, Mate B, Meffert D, Powers SP, Somasundaran P, Spies RB, Taylor CM, Tjeerdema R and Adams E. 2012. A tale of two spills: new scientific and policy implications of an emerging oil spill model. Biosciences. 62:461-469 Peterson CH, Rice SD, Short JW, Esler D, Bodkin, JL, Ballachey BE, Irons, DB. 2003. Long-term ecosystem response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Science. 302: 2082- 2086. Rabalais N. 2003. Oil in the sea. Problems of science and technology. 20:74-78Rist C. 1999. Why we will never run out of oil. Discover: 80-87.Schmidt CW. 2010. The Arctic drilling controversy. Environmental Health Perspectives. 118:A394-A397.