Welcome to the Geography page for The Quarters.

Background Information

On the 10th of March 2025, a US oil tanker collided with a Portuguese cargo ship off the coast of East Yorkshire, resulting in a fire burning for over 24 hours. Despite most people being rescued, currently one person is presumed dead. Moreover, this tanker carried 220,000 barrels of Jet A-1 aviation fuel, as well as the cargo ship containing highly toxic Sodium Cyanide. So, how will this tragedy affect the environment?

Impacts

Alastair Grant, Professor of Ecology at the University of East Anglia, said “jet fuel contains up to 25% aromatic hydrocarbons, which are relatively toxic and slow to break down in the environment. This makes it approximately 50 times more toxic to aquatic life than diesel oil, and significantly more harmful than crude oil”. With this being such a persistent oil, it could smother habitats and wildlife, killing them over long periods as it is slow to disintegrate. Collisions in areas such as Holderness- protecting habitats for crabs, bivalves and puffins- has caused the pollution to potentially spread here and in other places. Furthermore, Martin Slater of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust warned that this pollution could be "devastating" for seabirds, grey seals, and cetaceans near Spurn, as many birds gather offshore for nesting season.

The “massive fireball” also released toxic black smoke, potentially affecting nearby coastal communities due to poorer health from reduced air quality. A potential leakage of Sodium Cyanide leads to a breakdown of ions that inhibit haemoglobin (the molecule responsible for transporting oxygen in aquatic organisms). Therefore, this means that the amount of oxygen received is reduced and leads to a potential loss of life, especially algae and coral polyps.

Hope and Conclusion

The biggest concern now is how to prevent a further spread of the spill. The full environmental impact of this collision may take months to have an effect. However, insights from past similar incidents provide valuable guidance for mitigating its effects and informing necessary response measures.