Monitor only approach do nothing assumed to be best practice when water is deep and remote. Mechanical containment and clean-up at sea booms to contain oil, skimmers, and sorbant pads. Can only be effective where the spill is small and discrete and seas are calm. Ineffective where the wave amplitude is above the hight of the boom, the spill is remote, waters are shallow and may lead to boat damage. It is rare for all the oil from a large spill to be mechanically contained Use of dispersants at sea sprayed onto spills by boat, helicopters and planes.
Chemicals break up the oil into small droplets which enter the water column.
Many of the dispersant are known to have serious effect on marine wildlife and ecosystem structures mammals fish invertebrates. The combination of the hydrocarbon and dispersants is a toxic soup.