The New York Times reports that a large oil spill from an unknown source has devastated sea life in the Mediterranean and spewed tons of tar across more than 100 miles of coastline from Israel to southern Lebanon in what Israeli officials are calling one of the worst ecological disasters in decades.

Shaul Goldstein, the director of Israel’s nature and parks authority, said the spill would set back three decades of efforts to protect and renew biodiversity along the coastline.

“I feel like I want to cry,” said Mr. Goldstein, who has spent the past several days removing tar from the beaches. “It’s everywhere — it’s even four to five inches thick in some places.”

The environmental protection ministry has said it has identified about 10 ships as potential suspects of “the environmental offense” and said it believed it took place outside Israel’s territorial waters, approximately 31 miles from its coast.

Fleetmon reports that Israeli media has identified a Greek Aframax tanker as a suspect in the spill, but that the ship’s manager has strongly denied any culpability. 

Tar globs pollute Israel’s coast after oil spill – BBC News

Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.