Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Research Paper

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill also known as the BP Oil Spill has damaged the Environment to an extent that is not imaginable. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill took place in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010 and has been described as the worst environmental disaster in the United States as it released about 2 million gallons of crude oil which killed and injured thousands of sea turtles and marine mammals. Bird’s feathers were coated in oil causing birds to lose their ability to float in water and their ability to maintain body temperature, mammals could have consumed oil, which causes ulcers and internal bleeding, sea turtles were drenched in oil, and dead and dying sea corals were discovered seven miles from the Deepwater Horizon well.

More than 400 species that live in the Gulf islands and the marshlands are at risk, including the endangered Kemp’s Ridley turtle, the green turtle, the loggerhead turtle, the hawksbill turtle, and the leather turtle. About 34,000 birds were counted, including gulls, pelicans, roseate, spoonbills, egrets, terns, and blue herons. The area of the spill includes 8,332 species, including more than 1,200 fish, 200 birds, 1,400 molluscs, 1,500 crustaceans, 5 sea turtles, and 29 marine mammals. Many corals were killed at the bottom of the ocean. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill has damaged life of birds and marine species to a great extent. Another thing that the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill affected is the food chain. Maybe some fish were killed. With one break in the chain, the rest of the chain could be greatly impacted. The animals that ate the fish may not have enough food to survive which would create another break in the food chain. If the breaks in the food chain continue, almost all animals will eventually go extinct. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill has affected the food chain because thousands animals have been dying because of a disaster that the human’s have caused. There are still pockets of oil in the bottom of the Gulf of