From time to time, as at the end of May in 1997, oil washes ashore at Assateague beach.

The tarry patties of oil are a particular hazard to shore birds. When cleaning themselves, the birds swallow some of the oil, and nesting birds can transfer oil to their eggs which may then kill the chicks inside.

After spotting an eight-mile area of oil off the coast in late May of 1997, the coast guard brought in a Norfolk company to handle the clean up. Workers scooped up the thousands of oil patties that washed ashore into plastic bags and then removed them with company trucks.

See also:
Chincoteague Natural History Association
- Assateague Island Mystery Spill