slicks

The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea | 2006 | 700+ words | Copyright

slicks are lines of smooth unrippled water at the surface of the sea. They mark where the surface tension has been lowered by floating oil or fats. Many slicks are natural phenomena, which develop where the surface water is converging and sinking. When the sea is calm, lines of smooth water appear which are the result of accumulations of natural oils from plankton. Seabirds, turtles (see marine reptiles), and marine mammals are attracted to these slicks because food like plankton and seaweed is often more abundant along them. However, as well as natural products, floating flotsam and jetsam like plastics and polythene also accumulate along them, creating a dangerous form of pollution to marine life. When there is a serious oil spill from a tanker, slicks of oil spreading away from the accident are also a fatal attraction to marine life. See also front.

M. V. Angel

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