Resulting gasses from the fire contribute to global warming and produces acid rain as well as large amounts of toxic ash. This toxic ash can travel for hundreds of miles and eventually be inhaled by humans, creating breathing problems. The lighter components of the oil eventually evaporate only to mix with sunlight and oxygen to produce acidic gasses that accelerate the greenhouse effect. The heavier components of crude oil form a thick mixture of oil and water that can either drift to dry shorelines or sink to the ocean floor destroying the habitat of many floor dwelling organisms. Finally, sunlight and bacteria break down a small percentage of what's left from the oil spill into simpler less harmful elements. Although harm from these oil spills that occur far out in the ocean are more diffused than those that occur near the shoreline, the effects are far reaching and still cause a considerable amount of damage to the natural environment.
Oil spills that occur near a coastline undoubtedly create more problems than those that occur in the open ocean. This is simply due to the fact that a much more concentrated and diversified population of marine life exists in coastal areas. Coastal oil spills can harm marine life in a variety of ways. Fish can ingest large amounts of oil through their gills, while birds often ingest it from cleaning themselves or by eating other oil laden creatures. Once ingested, oil destroys the animal's internal organs, specifically the liver, and interferes with the reproductive process. "The famous "Exxon Valdez" oil spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound resulted in the deaths of 15,000 otters, predominantly as a result of ingesting oil." Furthermore, birds and marine mammals can be killed by direct exposure to oil. It can get clogged in a bird's feathers, making it impossible to fly and interfering with its ability to keep warm. This leads a loss of insulating ability and eventually hypothermia.