Half of that money was paid by the Exxon Corporation, the company that owned the oil tanker. The cleanup was not completed until 1992. A special council was created to oversee the recovery of the area. The council gives reports on the animals that were damaged in the spill. The council helps decide, along with scientists, how to best help the animals that live in Prince William Sound.
Scientists continue to study the area.
There has been a lot of improvement in Prince William Sound, but the ecosystem has a long way to go before it returns to normal. An ecosystem is made up of the plants and animals that live in an area. Each living thing in the ecosystem depends on other living things. That means when the fish die, there is less food for the seals that eat them. As the seals die, there is less food for the orcas that eat seals.