What is the name of the 1978 oil spill off the coast of France that damaged marine ecosystems?

• A. Exxon Valdez
• B. Amoco Cadiz
• C. Prestige
• D. Deepwater Horizon

Answer: (B)

Amoco Cadiz is the name of the 1978 spill that damaged marine ecosystems along the coast of Brittany, France. When the tanker ran aground in March 1978, about 223,000 tons of crude oil spilled, spreading along hundreds of kilometers of coastline and coating shorelines, birds, and marine life. The pollution disrupted feeding grounds, contaminated sediments, and had long-lasting effects on biodiversity and local fisheries, illustrating how a large tanker spill can reshape an entire marine ecosystem. Other famous spills occurred in different places and times—Exxon Valdez in Alaska (1989), Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico (2010), and Prestige off Spain (2002)—but they are not the 1978 French incident.