North Cape oil spill

Hundreds of oiled birds and large numbers of dead lobsters, surf clams, and starfish were recovered in the weeks following the spill.

US federal and Rhode Island state governments undertook considerable work to clean up the spill and restore lost fishery stocks and coastal marine habitat.

[5] Because of the complex interconnected nature of the marine ecosystem, the effects on one species eventually spread to every level of the food chain in that environment.

[7] More than 200 square miles (500 km2) of commercial fishery were closed for several months following the spill[5] and some seafood businesses were unable to make up the economic losses from that time out of work.

[8] As a result of the severe weather during the time of the spill, the oil spread quickly to the deeper levels of water, making cleaning up more difficult and the skimming method less effective.