To date, the majority of oil spill operations are rarely capable of recovering and/or treating more than a small portion of the oil which was spilt.12 Within the Gulf of Mexico it was estimated that nearly 4.9 billion barrels of oil were spilt, and approximately half of the oil spilt was 100% methane which and is still within the Gulf today.12 The oil was able to rise to the ocean surface and extended over an estimated 68,000 square miles—this is approximately the same size as the state of Oklahoma.12 Considering the amount of oil spilt, there has been and continues to be a huge impact on marine life, wildlife and their ecosystems, as well as the fishing and tourism industries.
Ecosystems
Between the months of October and November, 2010, an estimated six months after the
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Researchers found that eighty-six percent of the colonies within the central region exhibited at least 50% signs of impact.13 forty-six percent had exhibited impact levels of either a 3 or 4, and 23% of the colonies sustained impact which accumulated of more than 90% of the colony—displaying impact levels of 4.13 Another study focused on the impact which Deepwater Horizon had on the coastal salt marshes, located in and around the Bay Jimmy within northern Barataria Bay, Louisiana. This area was just one of the many which were severely impacted by this oil spill, the area affected covered more than 8 km x 5km.14. Within this field study seven stations were randomly selected from a much larger population which received heavy, moderate, as well as non-oiled marsh land.14 Both heavy and moderate shorelines accounted from 283 km of the 692 km of oiled march shorelines within Louisiana.15 Results showed that concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons within the soil were found to be significantly greater in heavily oiled marshes, when compared to moderate and controlled (non-impacted) marshes.15 Marshes which contained
Massive cleanup efforts were initiated within a few weeks of the spill and they continued at reduced levels for the next three years. Approximately 14% of the spilled oil was recovered by cleanup crews (Newsweek, p.50). As a result of these efforts and natural weathering, little oil from the spill remained in the affected area by 1992. However, according to the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration some oil residues are still found under the ocean surface in areas sheltered from wind and waves. Yet, these residues are highly weathered and the toxicity is reduced to levels tolerable by organisms in the water (7). Nonetheless, the magnitude and timing of the Exxon Valdez oil spill raised immediate concerns about possible effects on marine fish and wildlife and prospects that these effects might be long lasting.
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.
The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) listed the top ten most polluted areas from the oil spill: 1. Gulf Coast Least Tern Colony, 2. Lower Pascagoula River, 3. Gulf Islands National Seashore, 4. Breton National Wildlife Refuge, 5. Dauphin Island, 6. Fort Morgan Historical Park, 7. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, 8. Eglin Air Force Base, 9. Delta National Wildlife Refuge, and 10. Baptiste
In 2010, an oil spill, now called the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill occurred at the Gulf of Mexico. An estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil was dumped into the ocean. The oil exposed to the marine life’s environment caused many of the marine life to become sick. Many of the birds would ingest oil while they tried to clean the oil off of their feathers and would cause them to have lung disorders. According to scientist, up to 800,000 thousand birds and 300,000 turtles died as a result. I am here to today to raise awareness on this issue and inspire others to help protect our oceans. I hope that one day, we can restore our oceans to the clean and pure ocean it once was.
Colwell, R. R. 2014. "Understanding The Effects Of The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill". Bioscience 64 (9): 755-755. doi:10.1093/biosci/biu145.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused eleven human deaths and approximately two hundred million gallons of oil to be leaked into the ocean over the course of eighty-seven days. In direct result with the oil spill, thousands of sea creatures, aquatic plants, and other sea-feeding animals began
Back in the spring of 2010, the Gulf of Mexico experienced the worst oil spill in U.S history as a result of an explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon Oil rig. On April 10th the hazardous accident had already killed 11 people, deformed and killed countless numbers of marine wildlife, and leaked 3.19 million barrels of oil that spread about 42 miles off the coast of Louisiana. Even though the well was located within the deep sea (the lowest part of the ocean that accounts for most of the water on Earth) the ecosystem suffered heavily from it. For instance, it has been reported that over 335 dolphins died, hundreds of sea turtles washed up on the shore soaked in oil, and hundreds of seabirds drowned or starved from not being able to fly,
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.
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
Extensive damages of coastal areas around New Mexico affecting the wetlands and the fishing industry are caused by the oil spill. The oil spill was recorded as the destructive disaster of all times. Deepwater horizon oil spill occurred on April 20, 2010 in New Mexico and it has affected the 16,000 total miles of coastline. Millions of gallons of crude oil have been spread into the ocean. It is also known as BP oil spill ad it has impacted the coasts of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. It have been recognized as the worst oil spill in US history. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are responsible for determining the effects of the oil spill through a process known as Natural Resource Damage Assessment. Coastal wetlands
oil spill happened five years ago and nearly 5 barrels of oil was spilt into the Gulf of Mexico. The oil spill was caused from an explosion through the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig about 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana. The main effect from this oil spill was the losses of the animals. Causing many to almost go extinct. As a result from the oil spill the earth has had—losses from pollution, the cost, and the damage of people.
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 damage caused by the spill is almost immeasurable; ecological, political, economic, social it almost devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast fishing and tourism industries. Even in January 2011 a report was made by oil-spill experts from the University of Georgia stating that tar balls continue to wash up on beaches, collect in shrimp nets, kill marsh grass, and even undegraded oil in the seabed (Dykes, 2011). It will likely be years, if not decades, before the final assessment of damage, short-term and long-term, is accurately noted from this disaster.
In Santa Barbara, California, in 1969, even though the spilled oil was not even very large, thousands of dolphins, seals, and birds were killed (Ivanovich, and Hays, 2008). Moreover, in the Gulf of Mexico, 82,000 birds, roughly 6,165 sea turtles, approximately 25,900 marine mammals, and indefinite amount of oysters, fishes, corals, and crabs have been harmed or killed by the spilled oil. Additionally, the spilled has killed many aquatic plants. ( A Center for Biological Diversity Report, 2008). As a result, vegetation, which are the most essential part of the ecological pyramid, and other animals will be affected negatively by the dangerous impact of the spilled oil, which probably is going to cause some problems in the ecological pyramid. In fact, any defect in the ecological pyramid may become a dreadful problem that occurs an ecological
Peter has been working with the Bigness Oil Company’s local affiliate for several years, and he has established a strong, trusting relationship with Jesse, manager of the local facility. The facility, on Peter’s recommendations, has followed all of the environmental regulations to the letter, and it has a solid reputation with the state regulatory agency. The local facility receives various petrochemical products via pipelines and