Evidence of Sediment Sterility and Benthic Quality as Deleterious Consequences after the 2019 oil Spill in Northeastern Brazil
The worst environmental oil spill disaster ever recorded in any tropical coastal region globally happened in 2019; severely affecting one of Brazil most famous northeast tourist area South Pirangi Reef area in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN). The oil, a complex chemical mixture of hydrocarbon including heavy metals spilled on beaches, in estuaries, and reefs has spread between 50 cm and 1 m deep, occasionally sinking to the benthos.