News early this month praised the end of the oil spill that started April 20 in the Gulf of Mexico. The well is sealed off, and BP claims the oil has degraded, leaving the Gulf clean again.
False.
The well is sealed off and the water appears to be free of the gooey mess, which has already affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of marine animals.
But a new study led by Ben Van Mooy of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts shows a 22-mile long haze of oil floating below the Gulf’s surface.
It is obvious BP refuses to claim any actual responsibility for this tragedy and is simply trying to wash the black, sticky mess off its hands prematurely.
The toxins and chemicals that make up oil are still contaminating the precious water resources and marine habitats in the Gulf.
Even worse, the temperature of the water at this lower level is only 40 degrees, which is causing the oil to break down at a much slower rate.
Scientists, both involved and uninvolved with the study, agree the length of time for the remains of the oil to dissipate is unknown.
It could take months or longer.
The oil’s lengthened presence in deeper water could mean consequences even after the oil is finally gone.
Smaller marine creatures live at deeper levels of the Gulf and, as a result, grow much slower than larger marine life in shallower waters. The oil haze has the potential to create genetic mutations in the small fish and crustaceans that migrate in huge numbers to shallower water at certain times of the year.
This migration is the prime feeding time for the larger fish and mammals that feed off of the smaller prey.
If the smaller prey is genetically mutated and contains harmful chemicals, then the larger marine life, such as whales, dolphins, tuna and other popular sea creatures, will be affected too.
And so the domino effect starts to unfold.
All of these results could take months or years to evolve, but the effects of this spill will be seen during our lifetime and our children’s lifetime.
But, just because we can’t see the Gulf of Mexico from our backyards doesn’t mean we can’t help clean up our environment.
Keep recycling, riding your bike or walking to class, conserving water and turning off your lights.
If you would like to learn more or help with the crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, visit www.RestoretheGulf.gov.