Review of Potential Effects of Oil Spills on Coastal and Marine Resources on Western Libyan Coastal

Abstract

An oil spill can significantly affect coastal resources and the economy through economic activities that depend on clean seawater, coastal areas, and tourist sites, which may cause substantial economic losses after oil spills. However, this effect usually depends on the volume and type of oil spill and how sensitive it is to coastal and marine resources. Libya has one of the important Mediterranean marine biodiversity hotspots, which is the western Libyan coast that extends from western Tripoli city to the Gulf of Gabes with Tunisia. This work considers some of the effects of oil spills on a variety of coastal industries and social activities. In addition, this work provides a systematic literature review of biological, economic, and cultural resources and their sensitivity to oil spill scenarios on this coast. The findings of this work help provide a basis for the definition of priorities for protection to develop the capacity to respond to oil spills on the Libyan coast.