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Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
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Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Oil Gusher Finally Capped
Statistics
On July 15th of 2010, cement was poured into the damaged gusher and the oil flow was finally stopped. Despite clean-up efforts, the affects of this horrible ecological disaster will be felt for years to come.
BP, the primary owner and user of Deepwater Horizon, faced criminal charges and was forced to pay 4.5 billion dollars. they also had to pay 23 million to the clean-up efforts. There was an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil spilled in the Gulf of Mexico. 18% of crustaceans, 15% of fish, 18% of mollusks, and 3% of birds were affected. There were over 8,000 species of animals and plants in the area affected. Oil washed up on the shores of Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Animals affected
The oil spill drastically affected the ecosystem of the area. It caused a major disruption in the food chain. Below is an example of the disruption.
Turtles
Phytoplankton
Small Fish
Birds and Crabs
Many jellyfish died in the spill, and jellyfish are a major source of food for turtles. Also, the baby sea turtles swim out to sea once hatched, and therefore swim through the ever-spreading oil.
The lack of plankton and copepods for food killed off many fish
Oil killed some plankton and others soaked it up, causing them to be poisonous.
Without fish to prey on, birds and crabs die off. This is not considering, of course, the affects of the oil on their feathers and shells.
Copepods
10:00 p.m.
Oil killed some copepods, and reduced the number of offspring the survivors had.
Big Fish
Without small fish to eat, the larger fish die off. They are the ones humans eat, which could drive the price of seafood up. This affects local fishing economies that were affected by the oil slick. Many of these fish also lay eggs near the surface, where the oil floats.
The methane gas from the gusher ignites, setting off explosions on board the rig. The fire spreads, and the oil keeps flowing, creating a huge oil slick.
April 20th, 2010
9:45 p.m.
A geyser of methane gas, mud, and water shoots hundreds of feet into the air when an oil gusher under the Deepwater Horizon rig ruptures. Technicians try to cap it off, but the valve also fails.