The variety of life in and around lakes has different sensitivities to oil spills. The bottoms of standing water bodies, which are often muddy, serve as homes to many worms, insects, and shellfish. Lake bottoms also serve has a breeding ground and food source for these organisms and higher animals. Oil in sediments may be very harmful because sediment traps the oil and effects the organisms that live in or feed off the sediments. In the open water, oil can be toxic to the frogs, reptiles, fish, waterfowl, and other animals that make the water their home.
Fisheries located in freshwater also are subject to the toxic effects of oil.
On the surface of the water, water bugs that skim the water surface and floating plants such as water lilies are threatened by oil slicks that spread across the surface. In the shoreline habitats of lakes and other bodies of standing water, cattails and other weeds and grasses provide many important functions for life in and around the water. They serve as food sources, nesting grounds for many types of animals, and shelter for small animals. Oil spills can coat these areas, affecting the plants and the organisms that depend on them. Marsh environments are among the most sensitive freshwater habitat to oil spills due to the minimal water flow.