Changes in the gene pool can occur due to various mechanisms. in 1989, a large oil spill occurred in prince william sound, alaska, when the exxon valdez oil tanker ran aground. approximately 11 million gallons of oil were spilled and spread 1,300 miles along the alaskan coastline. the damage from the oil spill affected thousands of animals in the area, including killer whales, harbor seals, sea otters, fish, and sea birds. which mechanism most likely affected the gene pools of the organism populations in the areas around the oil spill?

The correct answer is genetic drift.

Explanation:

In the mentioned case, the spilling of the oil has affected various animals, for example, the animals in the mentioned region like killer whales, harbor seals, seabirds, and sea otters have got affected. It can be said that genetic drift is the phenomenon that has influenced the gene pools of the species in the area surrounding the oil spill. A change in the relative frequency of distinct genotypes in the population comprising lesser individuals as a result of the desertion of the particular genes as individuals die or do not mate is called genetic drift.