Oil spill linked to fish defects

Federal scientists have found that extremely low levels of crude oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez caused heart problems in embryonic fish, a conclusion that could shape how damage is assessed in major spills.

In a study in Scientific Reports, researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that embryonic herring and salmon exposed to low levels of crude oil developed misshapen hearts.

“Metabolically, they’re different,” said John Incardona, a research toxicologist at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. “They can’t grow as well. They can’t swim as fast.” The defects may explain why the herring population crashed after the 1989 spill.