Oil pollution in North Sea is 'grossly underestimated,' suggests new report

Growing up in Aberdeen, Scotland, the shadow of the Piper Alpha disaster loomed large over our community. The tragic explosion of the oil rig platform in 1988 claimed the lives of 167 people. Back then, I was blissfully unaware of the ecological ramifications of that disaster. But the spill of 670 tons of oil wreaked havoc on marine life and had a lasting impact on the marine environment that I love to explore.