Amanfu, David
Chang, Steve
Chun, Hazel
Hernandez, Angel
Peng, Lillian
AP Biology, Period 1
June 3, 2010
GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL
On April 22, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon well located on the Gulf of Mexico exploded,
killing 11 people and releasing millions of gallons of oil into the ocean. The rig was being
managed by the fuel company BP, but had a team of workers from an off water drilling company
called Transocean working on building the drill. BP is currently being held responsible by the
government for the incident and is currently taking full responsibility for the catastrophe.
The cause of the rig explosion was a “bubble of methane gas that escaped from the well
and then shot up the drill column, expanding and then exploding through the seals and barriers”
(NPR). The methane gas may have caused an explosion because the gas levels were not
monitored carefully before the pipe was opened. When drilling off land, cement is used to close
up the underwater well before driving the oil out and to seal cracks between the well and wall of
rock surrounding it. Then a mud covering is laid at the top of the well to stop and gas leaks
during the time it takes for the cement to settle. Before the cement is removed, gas levels are
supposed to be closely tested to ensure accidents like this do not occur. A probable cause for the
explosion of the oilrig and ultimately the oil spill may have been that the cement had not filled
all the cracks because of the pressure from the surrounding rock wall, which created a gas bubble
inside the sealed well. This bubble would be the one to eventually surge up the well and ignite an
explosion. The second line of defense in a case like this is a blow out preventer (BOP). A BOP is
a valve that when activated, shuts close prevent oil from leaking out. Unfortunately, on April 22,
the BOP that had allegedly been working fine, proved to be faulty and allowed the gargantuan oil
spill to occur. There are other aspects that contributed to the incident, but these two are the
primary causes.
The consequences of this catastrophe are expected to be enormous and long lasting. The
oil spill originated in the Gulf of Mexico but is reported to be spreading as far our as the shores
of Louisiana and the Florida Keys. Moving past the ecological consequences, the oil spill has
also affected the economy in terms of fisheries, and contaminated waters.
What’s happening to the oil?
The oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20 has contributed to the spill
of approximate 789,000 gallons of oil each day. The spill has caused many of the surrounding
wildlife to be severely affected. Potentially thousands of marine organisms are at risk and with
fisheries abundant along the Gulf coast; it is a place of profit. In addition, with the possibility of
marine life diminishing, money and jobs could be diminishing as well. With the oil in the Gulf of
Mexico, there are potential threats that could affect us. The oil has seen some effect on people,
making them sick and ill. Many who have helped clean the oil from shores have come down with
it. With the oil spill heading for the Gulf loop current towards Florida, many people may suffer
severe consequences; the oil can drastically affect nearby fisheries and pollute beaches across the
Gulf’s shores.
The oil-polluted waters consist of 30 percent less oxygenated waters than non-polluted
seawater. This is a major risk factor for ocean organisms, and can ultimately cause the Gulf’s
ecosystem to be severely affected. Because the polluted water can now hold less oxygen, much
of marine life can ultimately die from the lack of oxygen. Nevertheless, because most of the oil
drilled is from deep sea drilling, most of the oil is in dark, still locations, which means no
weathering and no evaporation, which can help reduce the overall damage.
Oil spill dispersants are chemicals applied to spilled oil in order to break it into smaller
residue. This can really help the progress of oil removal, which helps potential millions of sea
animals elude death. There has been controversy that the type of dispersant that BP is using to
take care of the oil spill is not helping reduce the spill. The dispersant that BP is using was said
to be less effective on the oil and has not been tested to know its after-effect on the environment
or the marine life.
Crews have set up absorbent booms (floating barriers) and sandbags in the water to
prevent oil coming ashore. Scientists have experimented with burning the oil from the water.
Volunteers and workers scoop up the oil that has already reached the beaches and marshes. On
the ocean floor, there are bacteria that gradually consume and decompose the oil underwater.
Life on the Sea Floor
The BP oil spill has been affecting all types of ecosystems and communities near the gulf.
One of the most important communities is the benthic community. Organisms like crabs and
oysters as well bacteria that live along the sea floor are part of this community, and are especially
important because they are the basis of the food chain. Some of these organisms are not visible to
the naked eye and are not well known to the average individual, but they are the primary
producers of the sea floor so all aquatic organisms depend on them. As the time passes, the oil
has sunk down to the bottom covering the sea floor and all the animals that live on it. Unlike
other animals in the seas, many benthic animals are sessile (incapable of moving) so they are
stuck in the mess of the oil spill. The toxicity of the oil leaking out into the oceans, are killing the
benthic organisms on the sea floor as well as the ones that live on the muddy estuaries on
shorelines. One of the roles of the benthic organisms is to help keep the growth of algae under
control so that there is just enough for the animals that eat the algae, but not enough to block the
sunlight for the other organisms underwater like on the estuaries of Louisiana. Without these
microscopic organisms, the entire ecosystem would be altered.
The oil dispersants being used “may help to decrease shoreline impacts but will increase
impacts to things that live under the water.” (LMRK). The dispersant itself was found to be a
toxic chemical. Scientists are examining the” respiration and primary production rates may be
used for evaluating effects of oil-related contaminants” (TIEHH).
Marine Wildlife
The Gulf of Mexico is home to a wildly diverse and abundant, yet sensitive, ecosystem
above water and under water. All of these organisms depend on the habitats of coral reefs,
mangroves, wetlands, and marshes that provide feeding, breeding, and spawning grounds for
these species. These habitats contain grass, microscopic organisms living in the top layer of
marsh mud, called the benthic community, the fuel that drives the whole system (Nola). These
producers are eaten by shrimp, oysters, small fish, and sea turtles. Four species of endangered
sea turtles, Kemp’s ridley, hawksbill, green, loggerhead, and leatherback, inhabit the Gulf.
Higher up the food chain are the crabs, which prey on the shrimp and shellfish, and are eaten by
spiny lobsters, Atlantic tarpon, sea turtles, and small trouts. Larger fish, such as snappers,
groupers, and the Atlantic bluefin tuna; 28 species of dolphins and whales; and seabirds and
migratory birds such as ospreys, gulls, and herons eat small fish and crustaceans. The Gulf is one
of only two nurseries worldwide for the overfished Atlantic bluefin tuna. Sharks and alligators
are large regulatory predators at the top of the food chain that feed on almost everything in the
system. And at the very apex are the humans.
Marine wildlife is now endangered by the oil spill because ingestion or breathing any of
the oil toxins could kill them. In addition, effects of the spill on one species may cause a cascade
effect across the whole food web. Marine biologist Jerauld Ault particularly worries about the
coral reef ecosystem on the tip of Florida, the only living coral system in the continental U.S.
Other top concerns include several endangered species: the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle and the
Least Tern and migratory birds. The Brown Pelicans, permanent residents of the Gulf, have just
recently been removed from the U.S. endangered species list last year and once again are
threatened. Sharks are also at risk because at the apex of the food chain, they will be exposed to
the most harmful toxins due to bioaccumulation and will suffer from serious shortages in prey.
Fish larvae are extremely sensitive to oil and when fish larvae are dying, it may affect the species
for generations on.
Right now, it is too early to determine the wildlife death toll. So far, federal officials
report that 189 organisms in total have been reported dead from since the oil spill started to May
18, but whether the cause of death was due to the oil or the dispersants or something else is still
unknown. Of the 189 organisms, 154 were sea turtles, mainly the Kemp’s ridley, 12 were
dolphins and 23 were birds. The chemical dispersants used to break up the slicks could be toxic
and the affect on wildlife is still obscure. In addition, no one is sure of the impact on the algae or
microscopic organisms yet.
Amid all of this destruction, there are determined people out there helping these
organisms. The Dawn brand is working with organizations such as the International Bird Rescue
Research Center (IBRRC) to rescue oiled animals, clean them, and care for them. Eventually,
restoring wetlands and restoring shark populations could build up lost ecosystem resilience. And
most importantly, we need to take proper controls and measures to make sure that if it happens
again, we will have a steadfast response, but hopefully we can prevent such devastation from
repeating.
Impact on the Coastal Ecosystems
As oil waste from the spill reaches the coastline, it causes soil erosion and contamination.
The oil squeezes between rocks and sand, slicks it, and renders it unable to support coastal
grasses and vegetation, as well as contaminating the inhabiting organisms. Oil that reaches larger
rocks and boulders removes their usability by leaving a very sticky residue on. Certain oil waste
becomes a tar-like substance and is even more troublesome, completely ruining most all
vegetation on the shore, and approaches to clean the area may make it look clean, while in fact
harming the environment’s recovery. This “tar” is even harder to clean when in the highly
organic soils of wetlands and coastal marshes. The oil’s composition also affects the effects of a
spill reaching the coast. Certain oil wastes only leave behind a thin layer of non-poisonous oil
that spreads quickly while the toxins evaporate. Others do not, and are thick and globular.
According to the NWF, approximately ninety percent of all the marine species in the Gulf
depend on coastal estuaries at some point in their lives.
The oil spill has a great impact on coastal food webs, causing certain communities to
collapse on themselves. Oil can limit marsh grass growth, a major source of food for wildlife,
also leading to erosion. The oil that spreads thinly on top of water can contaminate algae and
plankton, and therefore the larger animals that eat these small organisms. The toxicity works its
way up the food chain, killing many primary and secondary consumers. It may also work its way
up to humans as well, where certain people may ingest seafood that had eaten a contaminated
organism and been poisoned it. The Gulf Coast is one of our major sources of seafood,
contributing 75% of shrimp and about 60% of our oysters. These, along with clams and mussels,
accumulate toxins quickly, and spread them into the higher reaches of the food chain.
Birds are one of the hardest hit classes of organisms when there are oil spills. Millions of
birds use the Gulf to stop during migratory flights. As they reach the coast, they will need to rest
and refuel; only to find a food shortage/poisoned food supply as oil contaminates the grasses and
organisms. As the oil coats their feathers, their insulation capabilities are destroyed and many die
of hypothermia. Many animals who attempt to clean themselves may also die or be poisoned.
The newly polluted coast cannot support bird eggs and young. Many other effects include skin
and eye lesions, removed water resistance on feathers, ulcers, liver damage, and reproductive
damage and behavioral adjustments.
There is not much that can be done to stop oil from reaching the coast. If the flow is
stopped, it will be a lot easier to keep as much oil as possible from reaching the coast. This can
be done by skimming, filtering, combustion, dispersal, biodegradation (possibly by genetically
modified bacteria, performing phytoremediation), and weathering processes. After this spill, the
best plan of action is to finish cleaning up what we can, most of the oil has reached the coast at
this point, and look to the future to help prevent future spills.
The costs of an oil spill are very heavy, to both the companies that spill, and the areas that
are spilled on. Jobs are lost, livelihoods and ecosystems ruined, money and time wasted. The cost
of the lost oil, the repairs, the cleanup and remediation, penalties, fines, lawsuits, business
expenses for those who will have trouble doing business due to the spill, the list goes on.
Because everyone is affected, it is in everyone’s best interests to help create laws, safety
measures, and new techniques to help prevent these spills, and, help clean them up and fix the
problem as quickly as possible.
Impact on Fisheries
The gulf coast was home to many fisheries which were severely impacted by the oil spill
that occurred on Tuesday, April 20th. The fisheries of the gulf coast made profits of around fivehundred million dollars per year. This was an important industry, and was very vital to the
populations which lived in the area. Since the eruption of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, most of
the fisheries in the area were deemed closed by National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), a federal agency which specialize in the conditions of the ocean and
the atmosphere. The fish in the area were likely to be contaminated by the leaking crude oil, and
precautionary measures were taken.
There were many fishes affected, including crawfish, oysters, shrimp, and Gulf
menhaden, several of the many heavily caught fishes. Other marine organisms, such as the
various ones living in the underground reefs were also contaminated. This ecological disaster
even caused permanent damage, unable to be fixed.
Currently, over 45% fisheries in the Gulf Coast have been shut down. Many others are
being closely monitored by officials for contaminated catch. These numbers are ever increasing,
as the affected area grows bigger. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the NOAA are
working closely together to monitor the fisheries by running various tests and analyzing their
catch. They are also in charge of determining when the fisheries are safe to reopen. They state
that the fisheries will reopen when there is proof that oil is not present and several important
protocols are met. This may take anywhere from several months to years, depending on where
the fishery is located.
The fishermen are currently not being compensated for by BP, the company responsible
for supervising the oil rig. They are currently out of work, and looking to the government for
help. Some even plan to sue to receive their much needed compensation.
APPENDIX
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/05/oil_reaches_louisiana_shores.html
May 15, 2010. (REUTERS/U.S. Navy/Justin Stumberg)
May 22, 2010 on Grand Isle,
Louisiana. (John Moore/Getty Images)
May 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
May 23, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Turtle washed up in Bay St Louis, Mississippi. Photo by
Joe Raedle, Getty Images News May 3, 2010
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