The oil spill in the Black Sea near Crimea in 2024 became an environmental disaster, severely impacting birds that live in the region or migrate through it. The spilled oil forms a thick, greasy film on the surface of the sea, spreading over a large area and covering everything in its path.

For seabirds, this spill is a deadly threat. Birds that swim or feed in the water come into contact with the oil, which coats their feathers. This destroys the natural protective layer of their plumage, which ensures insulation and waterproofing. As a result, the birds lose body heat and become vulnerable to hypothermia.

Additionally, oil-covered feathers make it difficult for birds to fly and hunt, forcing them to expend more energy, which they cannot replenish due to restricted access to food. Birds attempting to clean themselves often ingest the oil, leading to poisoning. This causes damage to internal organs, disrupts digestion, and often results in death.

Particularly affected are species such as cormorants, seagulls, and other birds that closely interact with the sea’s surface. For many of them, this disaster means not only the death of individual birds but also a decline in populations due to the loss of feeding and nesting areas.

This situation serves as a stark reminder of nature’s vulnerability to human activity and the urgent need for effective measures to prevent such disasters in the future.