We are not only interested in studying fundamental oceanographic processes but also interested in applying our research results to practical marine pollution problems. The following photo provides an aerial view of an oil spill in a windy condition. In the bottom half of the oil patch as well as in the arm extending in the top-left direction, the oil film is broken into many streaks roughly oriented in the wind direction. These streaks are manifestations of subsurface vortical motions known as Langmuir circulations. In collaboration with environmental scientists at NOAA's Hazardous Materials Response Division and Canadian Department of Environment, we have developed models to estimate how fast these streaks disperse oil slicks. We have also developed simple analytical models to determine whether turbulence generated by breaking waves disintegrates an oil film into oil droplets at a particular wind speed.