Very glad to see that there is FINALLY some research being done on this [likely] eventuality, though it's understood that this is just the beginning, tentative investigation.
Something additional that absolutely needs some serious examination:  though it's nice that beaches wash off some of the oil - where does it go after it's flushed away by the tides? How do shellfish and sea worms feel about oily sediments?  And how long does it take for THAT oil to either disperse or neutralize?