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The oil spill near Ennore Port will have a long-term impact on the marine eco-system, fear researchers. With January and February being the spawning season for many species of fish and the nesting time for turtles, these creatures will be the most affected said an official at the Zoological Survey of India. As the water current is now moving from south towards the north, the oil can spread till Pulicat and affect a large number of fish, said the official. The thick coat of heavy furnace oil which leaked into the sea will make it difficult for marine life to survive. The sheet of oil on the water surface will not allow the oxygen to mix with the water. Due to this the fish and other organisms are likely to die of suffocation. The turtles which have to come to the surface once in every half an hour to breathe will also be affected as the oil slick will hamper their movement and breathing too.