2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

On April 20, 2010, one of BP’s drilling wells below the Gulf of Mexico exploded and caused a disastrous oil spill. Thousands of barrels of crude oil flowed into the gulf every day, causing widespread pollution in the Gulf of Mexico (Law Brain, n.d). The habitats of many bird species are threatened by this oil spill.

On April 20, 2010 the largest accidental marine oil spill in human history took place in the Gulf of Mexico. The incident resulting in methane gas was released and exploded killing 11 rig workers and having a major impact on our marine wildlife.

Imagine 2,500 to 68,000 square miles covered in 4.9 million barrels of oil. No, imagine being covered in 4.9 million barrels of oil. Picture yourself gasping for air in an ocean filled with oil. That is exactly what birds, sea turtles, dolphins, and other animals had to do after the most catastrophic oil spill of all time occurred on April 20, 2010.

Hurricane Katrina had a huge impact on the United States Wildlife and Fisheries in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas because of debris, oil, chemicals and other hazardous waste that was released into the water during the storm. The effects of Hurricane Katrina show us how major flooding can destroy ecosystems. The U.S. portion of the Gulf of Mexico leads the nation in landings of shrimp, oysters, and blue crab. The habitat that supports these fisheries and coastal economies also supports community resiliency and protects infrastructure for example, ports, energy production, fisheries which are extremely important to the nation. This habitat and its ability to support fisheries and protect vital infrastructure is threatened by

During the Deepwater Horizon event, 18 Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) teams consisting of Federal, State, Local and BP Plc. Representatives conducted field surveys to determine the location, scale and character of oiled shoreline (Michel et al., 2013). This data was essential to creating site-specific Shoreline Treatment Recommendations (STRs) which were based on criterion involving oil properties, season, habitat type and use. SCAT surveys were carried out by teams documenting oil character, thickness, percent distribution, width and length of the oiled band(s), tidal zone where the oil band(s) were observed, the average and maximum size of oil deposits, and recommended cleanup tactics (Michel et al., 2013). As opposed to

Until now, when the offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon exploded in 2010 and dumped 4.9 million barrels of oil into Louisiana salt marshes, scientists had no idea which kinds of animals were most affected and what impact it had on the food chain. However, with a new study from a Coastal Waters Consortium team of researchers led by Rutgers University postdoctoral researcher, Michael McCann, has found out what animals and insects affected by the Deepwater Horizon explosion that should be given the top priority for conservation, protection and research. The researchers found that terns, gulls and wading birds were both sensitive to the oil and so deeply connected to other animals in the food chain as predator and prey that losing them would impact

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill occurred on April 20, 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. This oil spill was the largest spill in history in front of the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. This oil spill released about 4.9 million barrels of oil into the ocean. This spill not only wreck havoc on the marine life but also the economic players that depended on ocean such as fisherman, tourism, and offshore drilling located along the gulf coast. Along will the spill the oil rig which was named Deepwater Horizon also went up in flames. This proved that the issue went far beyond just an oil rig that blew a line. Since this oil spill had drastic impacts all along the coast, BP which was the most liable for this incident faced criminal charges based on what happened. BP which knew the risks of deep ocean drilling failed to take the necessary safety procedures to reduce the risks of such incident occurring, thus was the reasoning behind placing most of the fault on them and not the other companies. The lack of regulatory oversight led to the issues and cost-cutting procedures opened the rig up to possible malfunctions like the one that occurred. During the spill into the gulf, BP sealed the well with cement which seemed to stop a majority of the oil from escaping the well. BP also recognized that the well was “dead” which was proven wrong when scientists still could conclude was leaking minor amounts of oil into the ocean. This spill not only proved to be harmful to the environment but also

IMPACT OF THE DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO ON THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

The article, “Gulf Oil Spill: A Whole in the World”, explicitly points out how much damage and destruction was actually created because of the catastrophe from the BP gulf oil spill. Naomi Klein talks about the oily marshes in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. Klein describes that the shrimp, oysters and crabs within the environment cannot be recovered and birds who migrate to the marshes become infected with the oozing oil. Even the Roseau cane that holds the marshes together will die out and increase the loss of the whole community that thrives around the wetlands. However, BP did not predict that these horrible devastations would occur. BP’s mission was to produce more advanced technology that would allow them to drill the deepest oil well,

The e Deepwater Horizon oil spill at the Macondo well began on April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect. An explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on 20 April 2010 killed 11 people and caused almost 5 million barrels of oil to flow into the Gulf of Mexico. The spill covered 68,000 square miles of land and sea and triggered a response effort involving the use of nearly 2 million gallons of dispersant chemicals (Pallardy). Considered the largest accidental marine oil spill in history, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS) resulted in widespread environmental and economic damage, the exact nature of which is only beginning to be understood (Shultz 59). This paper will address the causes of this unmitigated ecological disaster and discuss steps that need to be taken to prevent a similar disaster from occurring again.

The oil also has a physical and physiological effect including irritation, inflammation, or necrosis of the skin, chemical burns, ingestion of oil/dispersants can lead to inflammation, ulcers, bleeding, as well as possible damage to liver, kidneys, and brain tissue. It can also cause disfunction of the immune and reproductive system. The wildlife can become physiologically stressed, their physical condition will ultimately decline, and some may even die. The oil spill has additionally had an extensive effect on the ecosystem as a whole. An ecosystem can be defined as a biological environment consisting of all the organism living in a particular area, as well as the non-living physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact. Experts predict that the ecosystem could require years or even decades to fully recover since there is a chance of biomagnification. Biomagnification occurs once a PBT(Persistent Bioaccumalative substances) have piled up in one part of the ecosystem the substance becomes concentrated from one link in the food web to the next. It can affect entire populations and threaten biodiversity in “insidious, sub-lethal” ways. In addition to the possibility of biomagnification the oil causes

Many have described the post-spill Gulf as a gigantic chemical experiment, with as yet unknown effect on its delicate ecosystem. By July 2010, one third of the Gulf’s fishing area—more than 80,000 square miles—had been closed, affecting the livelihood of thousands in coastal Louisiana and Mississippi.

A before-after, control-impact (BACI) sampling design was recommended by stakeholders. Before and after sampling allows determination of how the actions were changing the restoration site. The reference sites (unaltered controls) for the BACI sampling design were chosen near the impact sites, but part of the restoration site. These sites show the effects of adaptation to the natural variability and events happening within the entire marsh system.

Over 8000 animals were reported dead 6 months after the spill, including many that were on the endangered species list (7). Subsequently, seafood prices increased affecting restaurants and supermarkets. People abstained from going to beaches covered in oil, water sports and other aquatic attractions which meant that all organisations involved in tourism such as hotels, tour operators, restaurants and boat rental companies were affected (1). Furthermore, the method of cleaning up the oil by “in-situ burning” (burning oil in a contained area on the surface of the water), had adverse effects on the environment as the burning off of the oil led to mutations and increased mortality due to pollution.

In the recent years there have been occurrences of oil spills in several locations within our country. Knowing that these have adverse effects on our environment and the ecosystem as a whole, we’ve always been in search of ways to counter this major problem. The damages we receive from an oil spill far exceed our expectations. Once oil contaminates our waters it takes time to clean up.