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Ecological Impacts During the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response
Citation:
Barron, M. Ecological Impacts During the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response. 14th Annual AFQAM Training Conference, Pensacola Beach, FL, October 06 - 09, 2015.
Impact/Purpose:
Abstract summarizing ecological studies the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response
Description:
The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill was the largest environmental disaster and response effort in U.S. history, with nearly 800 million liters of crude oil spilled. Vast areas of the Gulf of Mexico were contaminated with oil, including deep-ocean communities and over 1,600 kilometers of shoreline. Multiple species of pelagic, tidal, and estuarine organisms; sea turtles; marine mammals; and birds were affected, and over 20 million hectares of the Gulf of Mexico were closed to fishing. Several large-scale field efforts were performed, including assessments of shoreline and wildlife oiling and of coastal waters and sediments. Long term injuries and damages resulting from the spill is ongoing and is currently being litigated. This presentation will summarize major Federal and multi-stakeholder research efforts during the response phase of the DWH oil spill.