Mysterious tar balls have been washing ashore on beaches in Long Branch and Monmouth County, New Jersey in recent days. Tar balls are sticky blobs of petroleum that form when crude oil floating on the ocean surface gets shaped into balls by wind and waves. They sometimes originate from oil spills but can also be created by natural underwater oil seeps. Several government agencies – including the U.S. Coast Guard, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and Monmouth County officials – are investigating the tar balls’ origins. So far experts have been unable to identify where these particular tar balls came from. The agencies involved aim to determine if the tar balls indicate a new oil spill, which would require further action, or if they were naturally occurring. For now, the source remains a mystery as investigations continue.
Mysterious Tar Balls Wash Up on New Jersey Beaches
SourceUPI
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