Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

No timeline for recovery of plants and animals after oil spill

Updated at 8:12 pm on 4 December 2011

A marine scientist says it is not known how long it will take for marine plants and animals to recover after the grounding of the container ship Rena and subsequent oil spills.

The vessel became wedged on Astrolabe reef, 12 nautical miles from the Tauranga coast, on 5 October.

Waikato University Professor of Coastal Science, Chris Battershill, has been building up an assessment of contamination around the coastline.

He says there was not enough information available about what effect the oil would have on New Zealand's marine plants and animals.

Dr Battershill says to provide an accurate assessment of how long it would take to recover, it's necessary to know accurately how this type of heavy fuel oil engages with marine plants and animals.

He says there's a lack of direct evidence about how the oil would get into and out of plant and animal tissue.

More on the Rena grounding can be heard on Insight.

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