The Gulf Oil Spill

The Gulf Oil Spill

On April 20, 2010, a blast sank the Deepwater Horizon rig which caused a massive oil spill. No one knows for sure how this spill in the Gulf of Mexico will affect the deep sea ecosystem. This disaster caused an environmental and economic nightmare which will last for many years. This spill is the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.


The Deepwater Horizon spill has created huge deep water plumes where the oil is actually in the water column and not on the surface of the water. These plumes are wide, deep, and long and are without substantial biodegradation. The ingredients in the dispersants are also a concern because the ingredients are a trade secret that only the company that makes it knows what is in it. Although the toxic like napthalenes, benzene, toluene and xylenes in oil may be different, the compounds are all known human carcinogens with different health effects for humans, animals, wildlife, and plants.


According to NOAA, the deep water oil threatens the large marine wildlife like sharks and fish. Small marine wildlife such as shrimp, crabs, and worms which is endangering this group. This undersea spill may be worse. Hypoxia a condition that happens every spring may make problems worse. Hypoxia causes fast growing algae to deplete oxygen from sections of the water column in the Gulf of Mexico. This takes away oxygen that the wildlife and other life forms need to survive. Without oxygen it is like a long-term toxic body of water.


To make things worse, the oil washed up on the shore and is causing more damage the coastal wetlands that are trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina. These wetlands are already suffering from overdevelopment and pollution. Some of the immediate effects of the spill could be seen right away. Seabirds were soaked and suffocated in the gulf.


The oil is still out there and can be smelled and touched. The degradation of oil slows over the years. What is known as the asphaltenes are the large and complex compounds that remain once the microbes move on and the aspaltenes are very hard to digest.


Scientists warn the spill will have ripple effects that will last for years if not decades. Creatures that died and sunk to the bottom of the gulf will make it difficult to estimate the total number of creatures that actually died. The reproduction rate of sea turtles and the damaged caused by the Gulf Oil Spill will take years to figure out.


Many people are trying to make ends meet. This spill caused tourism along the Gulf of Mexico to slow down. For some time the waters were closed to commercial fishing. The shrimpers that were allowed to fish are having trouble convincing people that the shrimp is safe to eat. In closing, damage to the environment, human health, the seafood industry, and tourism has been affected by the Gulf Oil Spill. The financial costs and changes to the Climate Bill are also changed because of the Gulf Oil Spill.





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