It is a little complex to actually pinpoint the main cause of the herring population crash in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Prior to the oil spill by Exxon Valdez in 1989, the herring population was increasing in a steady rate. The aftermath of the oil spill, however, resulted to very low population which was felt heavily in 1993. It has been hypothesized that the oil spill is the big factor in the reduction of fish population. After the oil spill, phytoplankton population (which are food to herrings and other small marine organisms) is greatly reduced due to reduced sunlight Continue reading...