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Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Research Paper

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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. …show more content…

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

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Oil is the fastest source of decline to the ocean, being far more harmful than trash and waste. But, only a slight percentage of oil, around 12%, that’s dumped in the ocean is a result of actual oil spills (5.). A big source of pollution in the oceans is coming from land based sources, such as dirt, septic tanks, farms, ranches, motor vehicles, and among larger sources (5.). Pollution of plastic, waste, oils, and trash are not only affecting the ocean, but it’s affecting the ocean life as

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People will be prevented from fishing which is the largest source of income for many local areas. Fishing is important as it not only provides income for the fisherman but also to the restaurants that they sell to. Due to the recent BP disaster many restaurants along the coast line have had to close for weeks because they cannot get fish to sell in their restaurants. Fish numbers are not just temporarily cut following an oil spill, but they are cut for a long time. There would have to be very limited fishing in order to ensure that the fish stock does increase and is not lowered.

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1. Introduction In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil platform spit nearly five million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, making it the largest oil spill in history. The 1989 oil spill surpassed Exxon Valdez's oil spill in 1989 as the largest oil spill ever seen in US-controlled waters and the Ixtoc I oil spill of 1979 as the largest oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. On April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon, an ultra-deepwater offshore rig, exploded in the Gulf of Mexico about 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana, killing 11 riggers and injuring 17 others.

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Well, they show some things good about it, but none of it makes of for the hurt it does to marine life. Sunken cars as reefs attracting fish and kelp, to oil sludge used as food for protein-producing microorganisms.” This is saying that oil can be used as food for marine life, while this can kill them off. “Oil spills cause huge damage to the marine environment,” This shows that oil can damage marine life. “Cooperations between power plants and mariculture-producers has resulted in successful fish growing in artificially heated waters.”

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The Deepwater Horizon disaster had several health concerns other than claiming lives of eleven people. Reports by Solomon & Janssen (2010) show that over eight hundred thousand seabirds died after the incident and also many whales and dolphins died or were severely affected by the disaster. More than fifty thousand people who were involved in the clean-up activities were exposed to dangerous chemicals which would have adverse effects on their health. The effects of spillage could bring health problems to the fish consumers and also the reduction in fish consumption led to a decline in the fishing industry leading to loss of

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Bacteria and metals spread through the floodwaters, and the storm destroyed acres of forestry while leaving the Gulf Coast highly polluted with crude oil. According to Gale, “An estimated 6.5 million gallons of crude oil, as well as fuel from cars, boats, gas stations, and households, was spilled… Floodwaters also tested positive for E. Coli bacteria and heavy metals… The coastal marshes, which act as a natural barrier and protect the coastline from tidal surge, were also destroyed” (Gale). The oil spill, which was considered to be one of the worst oil spills in the country’s history, significantly destroyed the biodiversity of the Gulf Coast: beaches, marine animals, and marshlands that protected the coast from storm surges as a natural barrier.

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history (National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling n.d.). On April 20, 2010, the oil drilling rig exploded and sank, resulting in the death of 11 workers. Four million barrels of oil were leaked, the largest spill of oil in the history (Environmental Protection Agency n.d.). Soon after the spill, President Obama issued a six-month moratorium on deep-water drilling (Zachos 2018).

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The effects of oil spills on marine life is slowly killing certain species and marine life is and oceans are essential to human life. This issue does not just affect the oceans but the whole earth. Oil spills can take many years to clean up and most of the oil is never completely removed. Frost notes, “removing oil from the ocean in an extremely difficult task” (n. pag.). Because oil spills are so hard to clean up it continues to sit on top of the water and

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