Gulf Marine Life Declined Sharply After BP Oil Spill, Study Finds
Marine animals in the Gulf of Mexico's twilight zone fell about 60% in the years after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill, a new study found. The populations have not recovered.
- 63.5% drop in fish from 2011 to 2015.
- 62% decline in crustaceans, including shrimp and krill.
- 59.7% decline in larger animals such as squid and octopuses.
- 72% drop in krill, a key food for whales.
Why it matters: The study covers species that most Gulf predators eat. Lead author Tracey Sutton of Nova Southeastern University called them foundational species.
- Sampling since 2015 shows no statistically significant or lasting recovery.
- Researchers found the species losing genetic diversity through inbreeding.
How 6 sources split on this story
Where they split: Coverage does not split on the facts; the open question is causation, which the authors say they cannot prove directly.
Center coverage, 5 sources: The center frames the study as a dramatic, sustained decline in Gulf marine life since the spill.
Left coverage, 1 sources: The left frames the study as evidence of severe, lasting ecological damage from the BP spill.
What’s next: Boris Worm of Dalhousie University and Rita Colwell of the University of Maryland said the damage should inform talks on deep-sea mining and deepwater drilling.
- Colwell said future spill responses should avoid chemical dispersants and boost oil-eating microbes.
- The area was not studied before the spill, so the true pre-spill baseline is unknown.
- Sutton said his team could not prove an exact causal link, only rule out temperature, oxygen and food.
