The Macondo Blowout In The Gulf Of Mexico

The Macondo Blowout in The Gulf of Mexico
Introduction The Gulf of Mexico (GoM) harbors a rich biota with ecological and high commercial
significance (Yanez–Arancibia and Day 2004). In this ecosystem, the microorganisms are the
primary consumers and play major role in the biogeochemical cycling of organic matters (Pomeroy
1974). The GoM ecosystem is often perturbed by natural calamities or human activities affecting the
microbial community structure (Kryachko et al. 2012) and the associated nutrient cycling at all
trophic levels (Pomeroy 1974; Camilli et al. 2010; Atlas and Hazen 2011). On April 20, 2010 the
Macondo Blowout, the largest accidental oil spill in the GoM and the second largest in the world,
released an estimated 4.9 million barrels of crude oil (Atlas and Hazen 2011). This significant
ecological perturbation of the sea and coastal region has led to negative impacts in local fishing,
aquaculture and tourism (National Health Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (US) Gulf
Ecology Division 1999; Yanez–Arancibia and Day 2004; Arreguin–Sanchez et al. 2004; Ritchie and
Keller 2008). Since the occurrence of the oil spill, most studies used molecular approaches
including NextGen sequencing technology to assess the diversity and metabolism of complex
microbial communities in oil–contaminated environments, particularly samples collected from off–
shore locations surrounding the Macondo Blowout (Evans et al. 2004; Bordenave et al. 2007;
Cappello et al. 2007; Liang et al. 2007; dos Santos et al. 2011;
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

The Reefs of the Gulf of Mexico
When you think of the Gulf of Mexico the first thing you don't think of is coral reefs. You don't even
think of it as place to go surfing. If you ask a surfer what a reef is, they would probably say
something that gets in my way while surfing. Reefs being either large or small, have grown for over
thousands of years. The build–up of limestone or calcite have given way to magnificent structures
that many marine animals call home (Science). Reefs are communities in the ocean where more than
hundreds of different ocean species live (Moran). These reefs in the ocean become a community that
live alongside each other which allows them to grow. Whether the reef is a place to live, find shelter
or a place eat, the reefs of the Gulf of Mexico ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Trawlers and fishing boats with large nets will skim the ocean bottom breaking up these coral and
destroying them (F. Moretzsohn).
The salt domes found here in the Gulf of Mexico are thought to be ten –fifteen thousand years old,
which are the underlying structure of the East and West Flower Gardens. These reefs are similar to
Caribbean reefs in that the fast growth rate of the hermatypic corals. Also like other reefs, rays,
sharks, sea turtles and over 300 different invertebrates inhabit the reefs here in the Gulf of Mexico.
Boulder star coral and brain coral are two main types of coral. The current from the south brings
warm Caribbean water that moves through the gulf loop. It can move as far inland as Louisiana or
parts of the loop break away to form eddies that bring animal larvae, plant spores that count for
many of the Caribbean species found in the Gulf (Service,
flowergarden.noaa.gov/about/natrualsetting.htm;#domes).
Since the water temperature does cool during the winter month's hermatypic coral do not survive
close to the coastline in the Gulf of Mexico. The sandy ocean bottom is what impedes coral from
growing in this ocean water as well. However, there are formations that have occurred that the coral
have discovered. Salt Domes hundreds of year's old and man–made structures from oil rigs and
drilling platforms are artificial type reefs that help the coral sustain life in these waters. These corals
make up the East and West Flower Garden

The Gulf Of Mexico And North And South America
The Gulf of Mexico is in the center of both North and South America. It is in the Atlantic Ocean,
and it is almost surrounded by Mexico and the U.S. It is a four hundred and fifty mile stretch
between Florida the Yucatán. From east to west the gulf measures about 1,100 miles and from north
to south 800 miles. It has an area of more than 500,000 square miles. Most of the 3,000–mile coast
is low and marshy, outlined for much of its length by barren sandbars. These are sometimes 100
miles long with salt lagoons behind them. The only islands are a few small ones off the Yucatán
coast and the luxuriant Florida Keys. The rivers emptying into it bring much sediment. Except for
the Mississippi, all are blocked by great bars that make them accessible only to shallow–draft
vessels. Because of the low shores there are few good harbors. The major ones are Key West,
Tampa, and Pensacola, and so on. (Gulf 2016). The gulf exercises a great influence on the climate of
the southeastern United States and the whole Mississippi Valley. It saturates the southerly winds
blowing across it with moisture. The air releases the moisture as rain, which falls most heavily on
the coast and in smaller quantities as the winds move northward. Hurricanes often form in the gulf,
and many of them have battered coastal areas (Gulf 2016). Therefore, there is a huge effort by the
environmentalists that the Gulf of Mexico be cleansed of its dead zones. Do you believe things will
return to normal in the Gulf of

Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill Case Study
The Bp spill in the Gulf of Mexico is considered to be one of the biggest oil spill disasters. The Bp
oil spill affect many people and the environment. The oil spill was an oil disaster and globally
financial disaster, and it had a negative impact on the sea and the oceans around it. the oil spread
everywhere, and it affected every living animals that came in contact with it. However, many tries
were made to try to stop the leak, but all failed until the leak was declared officially closed by the us
government. According to the "BP and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster of 2010" states that "the
Deepwater Horizon, 17 were injured, including Williams, and 11 were killed. The rig burned for 36
hours, combusting the 700,000 gallons of oil that were ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, Bp has demonstrated a disturbing measure of corrupt behavior, including government
wrongdoings. Legitimate issues began the first time in 1998, when a temporary worker was gotten
wrongfully dumping several gallons of dangerous waste into lustgraten well. An investigation of
state records shows that the company is the most exceedingly awful in the business as far as oil
slicks and put people in harm. It was also revealed that many of the rig workers had made reported
about issues on the oil rig and were ignored by Bp and that shows how the company was reported
by the issues by whistle blowers and they were ignored by the company. I believe that in any team
project the company should have the obligation to stop any further issues and provide the safety of
the workers if there was reported an issue. It was known that the Blowout Preventer was one of the
main reasons that the spill was as big as it was. According to a company Transocean which tested
the Blowout preventer many times, but it was suggested that it was defective but Bp ignored the
failure of the Blowout prevented. I think it was the company's fault the part was not fixed and taken
proper response to it but it wasn't and that what caused the uncontrollable spill and for the engineers
it was there obligation to take a stand against the company because it's their ethical obligation to
their coworker

Bp Oil Explosion in the Gulf of Mexico
On April 22 2010, the World faced one of its worst oil spill disasters in the history of marine
petroleum exploration. A deadly oil well blowout at Macondo Prospect, about 41 miles off the
southeast coast of Louisiana, spewed huge quantities of oil for 87 long days causing major
environmental and economic troubles to the Gulf region ("Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill"). It started with
a fire and explosion, killing 11 workers, and then unleashed a slow motion disaster that spread
across the 600 mile gulf coastline. The massive oil spill disrupted lives and livelihoods, and
swallowed up the habitat of many species, leaving their fate to the toxic mix ("Political and
environmental Dilemma").
The chain of events started with an accident on board ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
According to a report published by US Fish & Wild Life on January 25, 2011, local authorities
collected 6,124 dead birds and 100 sea turtles ("Wildlife Collection Report"). Wildlife Report
Experts contend that it will take several years to fully assess the environmental and ecological
impact of the spill.
The extent of environmental damage is directly proportional to the amount of oil spilled and the area
it covers. Although both BP and government officials initially downplayed the importance of
estimating the extent of the spill, industry and environmental experts said accurate estimates were
key to planning and assessing remediation efforts. The final estimate of the oil spill now stands at
4.9 million barrels, the volume that far surpassed many previous spills on American soil. A previous
accident caused by the collision of the Exxon Valdez oil tanker in Alaska spilled about 760 thousand
barrels, slicking 11,000 square miles of ocean surface and 1,300 miles of pristine Alaskan coastline,
and killing hundreds of thousands of birds and marine mammals and untold numbers of fish and fish
eggs ("Gauging the Long–Term Impacts").
As a result of the BP Oil spill, the US government imposed a temporary moratorium on off shore
drilling. A great amount of work was done by the government and BP Management to clean up the
oil slick across the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. BP committed 20 billion dollars for oil–spill
victims over

Gulf Of Mexico Essay
As offshore drilling was a new industry, regulations had to develop at the same time the industry
developed. Unfortunately regulations were usually enacted and enforced after accidents had already
occurred. Analyzing the development of the offshore oil industry in comparison to the process of
regulating its operations will show the international, national, and local processes involved in
attempting to balance the economic benefits with the environmental risks involved. An applicable
example for showing the relationship between the environment and the economy created by the
offshore oil industry is the drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The exploration of oil drilling
into the Gulf of Mexico dates back to 1938, when the Pure Oil and

The Gulf Of Mexico Dead Zone
The main problem this paper intends to discuss regards the Gulf of Mexico dead zone. This dead
zone, which for the most part encompasses the water off the coast of Louisiana, becomes depleted in
dissolved oxygen. The dead zone is an outcome of nutrient runoff into the Gulf from urban areas,
wastewater treatment plants, and from atmospheric deposition, however, the majority comes from
fertilizers used in agriculture around the Mississippi River Basin. The increase in nutrients has been
affecting the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem by forming difficult conditions in which organisms live.
Another consequence that is directly related to the ecosystem damage is the effect on the fishing
economy in in the region. In the paper I will address the questions, how has the dead zone
specifically caused damage to the ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico and how has that damage
affected the economic productivity of the fisheries? Furthermore, what policy solutions exist to
solve the dead zone problem? Dead zones develop due to excess nutrients getting into water causing
eutrophication, which means over–enrichment. River runoff deposits these nutrients, which come
from upstream, a large amount from agriculture of the Midwest. Nitrogen and phosphorus, the
primary excess nutrients, are limiting nutrients to primary producers, such as phytoplankton, that
live in the surface oceans. Since those elements are limiting nutrients, an elevated influx of them
will cause an explosion of productivity called an

Oil Spills In The Gulf Of Mexico
How have oil spills affected the world? Has there been efforts to make sure the number of oil spills
are minimized? Oil Spills have been harming the environment for a very long time. The largest oil
spill to ever occur took place in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20th, 2010. Twenty million gallons of
oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. The second biggest oil spill took place in the Bay of Campeche,
Mexico 1979. The third biggest oil spill took place in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies. Scientists
have been trying to figure out how to minimize the number of oil spills.
The biggest oil spill in history started on April 20th, 2010 by an oil ring called the Deepwater
Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil ring was owned by an offshore oil drilling company called
Transocean and they were leasing the oil ring to British Petroleum. The oil well was located on a
seabed 4,993 feet below the surface of the ocean. On April 20th, a surge of natural gas penetrated
through the concrete core and went up the Deepwater rig's riser which led to the drilling platform
catching fire, and exploding. This caused eleven people to die and injured another seventeen people.
During this oil spill more than 200 million gallons of oil was pumped over a period of 87 days into
the Gulf of Mexico until the well was capped in July, 2010. A study in the blowout preventer
showed that huge blades known as blind shear rams ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Ixotic 1 was an oil well owned by Mexico's government called Pemex. On June 3rd the circulation
of the drilling mud failed causing an explosion. The whole ring holding up the oil drill caught fire
and sunk. Relief wells were built to relieve pressure from the main oil well letting the response
personnel cap it on March 23, 1980. The Ixotic 1 spilled oil at a rate of ten thousand to thirty
thousand a day causing a lot of environmental

The Effect Of The 2010 BP Oil Spill On The Gulf Of Mexico
On April 20th 2010 an explosion on an oil ridge of the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, was the cause of
the greatest environmental disaster in history of the United States. This explosion took the lives of
eleven men who were working on the ridge, and also ruptured an oil line, which dumped more than
4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This oil spill significantly affected the wildlife of
the gulf coast, killing hundreds of fishes, birds, and reptile that call the gulf coast home. The spill
also affected global supply chain for major industries. The biggest industry that was affected
because of the 2010 BP oil spill was the seafood industry. The gulf coast is where majority of the
U.S seafood comes from, and the oil from the

The Oil Spill Of The Gulf Of Mexico
Introduction
British Petroleum (BP) is a multinational oil and gas company. Based on market cap, it was the fifth
largest energy company in 2013. ("IHS Energy 50"). Like many petroleum based companies, BP is
often under fire from environmental activists for not being environmentally cautious, but during the
year of 2010, BP experienced a disaster that would cripple it's reputation far past that of the average
petroleum energy company.
Deepwater Horizon was an ultra–deepwater offshore oil drilling rig licensed by BP. It was drilling
the deepest oil well in US history, in the Gulf of Mexico. On April 20th, 2010, there was an
explosion on the oil rig that caused it to burn and sink. This resulted in the deaths of 11 workers, the
injury of 16 others, and a massive oil spill. With a volume of 4.9 million barrels pumped into the
gulf ("On Scene Coordinator Report Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill"), and a total covered area of 68
thousand square miles ("BP / Gulf Oil Spill"), it is considered the largest environmental disaster in
US history. (Zeller).
The effect of the spill was massive environmental damage, and large economic losses for businesses
in the area. The tourism and fishing industries were hit especially hard. Naturally, the reaction from
the public was extremely negative. Petitions arose, and Facebook pages were created, that urged
people to boycott the company. There were also many protests at BP gas stations. The band Korn
even vowed to never use BP products in their

Gulf Of Mexico Hypoxic Zone
Hypoxic zones also known as "dead zones" refers to decreased levels of oxygen in the water. Marine
life die of suffocation due to the low oxygen concentration in these dead zones, which affects animal
life in the ocean. These hypoxic zones occur particularly along the Gulf of Mexico, East Coast, and
the Great Lakes. According to Cheryl Lyn Dybas, a journalist who specializes in marine sciences,
stated that there are about 146 coastal dead zones worldwide (Dybas). In addition, since the 1960s
the number of hypoxic zones has nearly doubled every passing decade (Dybas). Although dead
zones can develop naturally, scientists are alarmed about how these zones have been augmented by
human activity. Many physical, chemical, and biological factors ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Malakoff stated that the Gulf of Mexico dead zone is a creature of the Mississippi (Malakoff).
Scientist believe the surplus runoff of nutrients from agriculture in the great Mississippi River
drainage basin is the result of the Gulf's dead zone (Dybas). There's a conflicting collaboration
between human productivity and ecosystem health with the hypoxia problem in the Gulf of Mexico
(Joyce). According to Joyce, the Mississippi basin is very important economically. She informed
that the basin drains about 31 states and 40% of the contiguous United States. In addition, the basin
represents nearly 55% of American agricultural lands and 33% of U.S. farm–related jobs and
produces over $98 billion annually in agriculture (Joyce). Plus, since 1980 the Mississippi and
Atchafalaya Rivers annually discharged 1.6 million metric tons of nitrogen (mostly nitrate), 100,000
metric tons of phosphorous, and 200,000 metric tons of silica into the basin (Joyce). Therefore,
about 56% of nitrate enters the Mississippi above the Ohio river in the states where agricultural
production is the highest and that eutrophication has compromised water quality in the basin
(Joyce). The Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone was not monitored like many of the U.S. coastal
ecosystems until water quality degradation was

Gulf Of Mexico Environmental Analysis
The rich habitats of the Gulf of Mexico help make it one of the most ecologically and economically
productive bodies of the water in the work. The meeting of land and sea along more than 16,000
miles of coastline from Texas to Florida creates a wealth of ecosystems (National Geographic
Society, 2010). The dynamic mixing of saltwater and freshwater and the daily infusions of
sediments from rivers nourish areas that provide habitat for wildlife and protection from pollution
and storms (National Geographic Society, 2010).
"Dead zones" occur in many areas of the country, particularly along the East Coast, the Gulf of
Mexico, and the Great Lakes, but there is no part of the country or the world that is immune. The
second largest dead zone in the

The Gulf Of Mexico And America
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially locked body of water surrounded by the North American continent
(Gulf of Mexico, 2000). The gulf links five southern U.S states: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana, and Texas and six Mexican states: Tamaulipas, Vera Cruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán,
and Quintana Roo (Gulf of Mexico Facts, 2015). The gulf surrounds Cuba and connects to the
Atlantic Ocean. The Gulf of Mexico may just seem like another body of water, but that is far from
the truth. This body of water has many contributions to society and society has also affected it in
many ways because of its resources. Before doing any research I believed that the Gulf of Mexico
was owned by Mexico and I found out that this was a misconception. No one other than the federal
government owns this body of water. There are Territorial waters, which are "areas of a body of
water that contact land and are claimed by an specific country" (Who Owns the Gulf of Mexico?
2010). This means that there is a 12 miles wide band that would belong to what ever land it touches.
For example 12 miles out of the coast of Florida belong to the United States. However, parts of the
Gulf of Mexico can be leased to petroleum and gas companies in order for the government and the
companies to create a profit. The word profit takes me to one of my points of this paper on how the
Gulf of Mexico helps the people and the country. The Gulf of Mexico benefits North America
greatly because of its economical aspects.

The Danger Of Dead Zones During The Gulf Of Mexico
Due to the potential dangers of dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico, the American government needs
to make dramatic and construal efforts to stop the growth of this dead zone. Hypoxic zones, more
commonly known as 'Dead Zones,' can be found all over the world, with the second–largest located
in the Gulf of Mexico. They are lacking in life because of the absence of the atomic number 8,
otherwise known as oxygen. According to the Environmental Encyclopedia, hypoxia occurs when
the content of oxygen is below or between 2–3 milligrams per liter while for healthy waters 8
milligrams need to be found ("Dead Zones"). Therefore, dead zones are begotten from the lack of a
sustainable amount of oxygen in a body of water. Curiously, the body of water which contains one
of the largest dead zones is the Gulf of Mexico. The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is vast, so
much so, that an article in The Advocate compares it to two states. "...stretching 6,474 square
miles... the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined..." ( Amy Wold "Dead zone larger than
last summer *** Triple the size of the task force–set target") Dead zone's formation can originate in
numerous ways, that can either be a product of nature or humans. Captain Ralph Allen of The
Charlotte Sun describes three different ways hypoxic zones can be cultivated by nature: warm
waters, biological decomposition and deep chasms (Allen). It is important to realize that they each
cause dead zones because of their ability to

Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill Analysis
Back in the spring of 2010, the Gulf of Mexico experienced the worst oil spill in U.S history as a
result of an explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon Oil rig. On April 10th the hazardous
accident had already killed 11 people, deformed and killed countless numbers of marine wildlife,
and leaked 3.19 million barrels of oil that spread about 42 miles off the coast of Louisiana. Even
though the well was located within the deep sea (the lowest part of the ocean that accounts for most
of the water on Earth) the ecosystem suffered heavily from it. For instance, it has been reported that
over 335 dolphins died, hundreds of sea turtles washed up on the shore soaked in oil, and hundreds
of seabirds drowned or starved from not being able to fly,

Effects Of The Oil Spill On The Gulf Of Mexico
Many people wonder what actually happens to the animals when the oil spill happens. This oil spill
happened five years ago and nearly 5 barrels of oil was spilt into the Gulf of Mexico. The oil spill
was caused from an explosion through the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig about 40 miles off the
coast of Louisiana. The main effect from this oil spill was the losses of the animals. Causing many
to almost go extinct. As a result from the oil spill the earth has had–losses from pollution, the cost,
and the damage of people.
The first effect of the oil spill is many losses from pollution caused by the BP Oil Spill. Such as all
the animals that were endangered by the oil. Their environment was being intruded by the 4.9
barrels of oil that was ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
A known species of birds– brown pelican, white pelican, and laughing gulls– were found to be
decreased by 800,000. "A 2012 study determined that white pelicans that had migrated from the gulf
to Minnesota to breed were producing eggs that contained discernible amounts of compounds that
were traceable to the BP spill. Eggs containing traces of contaminants were found in Iowa and
Illinois as well" ("Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010"). "Animals that were found alive in the
wake of the spill were transported to rehabilitation centres and, after being cleaned and medically
evaluated, were released into oil–free areas. Concerns about the offspring of sea turtles that nested
on the gulf coasts of Alabama and Florida led wildlife officials to dig up thousands of eggs and
hatch them in a warehouse for later release on the Atlantic coast. By late 2012 some 1,700 turtles
had been found dead. A long–term satellite tracking study released in May 2013 showed that the
endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle was likely severely affected, as its preferred foraging territory
was within the area damaged by the spill. It was estimated that up to 65,000 imperiled turtles had
died during 2010 alone, mostly as a result of oil contamination. It was also estimated that some
300,000 turtles, some of which were originally from breeding populations in other parts of the
world, were in the region of the spill when it occurred, leading scientists to point out the global
impacts

Creative Writing: Gulf Of Mexico
Captain Styles made the executive decision to dock at the unnamed island someplace in the Gulf of
Mexico. From the dark clouds and strong winds they could tell a storm was coming soon. Niall had
wandered away from the crew like usual. He ran the warm sand through his fingers and smiled to
himself.
A soft whimper was heard and Niall perked up his ears. He spun around and saw nothing. Thinking
it was just his imagination he continued to look out at the sea. He heard the strange sound again but
this time it was followed by the rattle of chains. Niall spun around looking towards the direction of
the noise.
Then he froze.
It was honestly the most disturbing site he had ever seen in his entire life. A boy who couldn't be a
day past 16 was leaned ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The boy nodded desperately and opened his mouth. Niall unscrewed the cap and held the canteen up
to the boys lips. The water spilled from the boy's lips as he drank quickly. He glugged down the
water for a moment before Niall pulled it back. The boy whined in protest.
"I'll give you more after you talk." Niall said as he set the canteen to his side.
"Captured me and beat then left me for punish–ment." He grumbled. His voice was hoarse like he
hadn't spoken in a long time. Niall finally cut through the rope and freed the boy's arms. His arms
fell to his sides.
"You the only one?" He asked. The boy nodded again. "How long have you been here?"
"Two days." The boy mumbled. He rubbed his wrists. Niall bent down next to the boy picking him
up carefully. He began to carry the boy back to the ship so Liam would help him.
Liam was the ship's medical professional. He did other tasks too but he was the most educated. He
boarded his first ship around the age of sixteen. He had grew tired of school and strived for a more
adventurous life. He found himself as a stowaway on Styles pirate ship The Merrow. He was twenty
four now and never left the Captain's side.
He saw Niall coming and hurried down the gangway that acted as a bridge to the land.

"Liam help him. He is hurt. I'll explain to captain." Niall said. Liam looked at the

The Gulf Of Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, And Alabama
Introduction
The Gulf of Mexico, an ocean basin mostly surrounded by the North America continental, is
generally referred as the south coast of America and one of the major regions for source and
infrastructure of oil and gas supply in the United States. Four of the states including Texas,
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama on the Gulf of Mexico consist of the significant petroleum–
producing area. According to the data provided by the Energy Information Administration [1], the
Gulf of Mexico offshore oil and natural gas production account for 17% and 5% respectively of the
total U.S. crude oil and dry gas production. Additionally, about 45% of the petroleum refining and
51% of the natural gas processing capacity in the United States are spread out on the Gulf of
Mexico.
Formation of the Geological Structure
According to the geological definition, the Gulf of Mexico is an ocean basin bounded on the
northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south
by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. The formation of Gulf of Mexico can be dated back to the
late Triassic, which was about 300 million years ago. The ancient mega–continent Pangea was split
by a 6,000 km long crack into two supercontinents––Laurentia and Gondwana [2], which are mostly
the North America and the South America with Africa. During the extension and stretching of the
super–continents Laurentia and Gondwana, there was a great rift basin being formed across South

Flooding Along the Mississippi River: The Impact on the...
This spring, record breaking floodwaters along the Mississippi River caused massive damage in
nine states, totaling over $25 billion dollars in damage (Watts, 2011). In most areas the floodwaters
have receded, however there is concern that even a little rain could cause more flooding due to the
already saturated land. As cities and towns are beginning the restoration process, one thing caused
by the flooding waters cannot be restored. Pollutants' such as nitrogen from fertilizer, due to this
area being primarily composed of farming land, is making its way toward the Gulf of Mexico. Every
year pollutants traveling in the Mississippi River enter the Gulf and contribute to the Coastal Dead
Zone; however, this year the Dead Zone in the Gulf ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
(Helsel & Mueller, 2009). Sediment collected from the riverbank as the river flows downstream is
also a problem; it increases the turbidity of the river, and this makes it difficult for plants to receive
the necessary sunlight needed for survival. When these plants die, there is less food for fish and
other river animals. Bacteria levels also rise in the water, because it can cling to sediment very
easily. When there is more sediment, there are more places for the bacteria to collect. (Helsel &
Mueller, 2009). All of these problems are occurring as the water is flowing along the river banks,
collecting even more sediment, and pollutants as it travels downstream and deposits into the Gulf of
Mexico. When all of this sediment, nitrogen and bacteria flow into the Gulf of Mexico, it causes
changes in the water there. The increase in the level of nitrogen causes plankton to grow faster.
When the plankton decomposes it takes a large amount of oxygen out of the water. The bacteria
break down the decomposed plankton, which releases carbon dioxide, taking increasing levels of
oxygen out of the water in the Gulf. Eventually the level of oxygen decreases to a point where most
living organisms cannot survive. Some animals flee while other plants and animals that cannot leave
usually die. This is referred to as the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico. (Gulf of Mexico; NOAA,
2009). With an expected increase in the size

Catastrophes In The Gulf Of Mexico
7 Years ago, in the Gulf of Mexico one of the worst catastrophes that has happened in modern
history, happened. Moreover, in the United States. The "BP" Gulf oil spill as you might of hear it
called. Although, British Petroleum has made every possible attempt to rename the mishap. Years
later this incident has had a huge impact in the local infrastructure. Furthermore, this was a
compounding effect on the Gulf, 5 short years since Hurricane Katrina leveled the coast. This was
just another hit to the gulf residents. The public relations of BP and this catastrophe were atrocious
in the since that BP ran away from the camera while they had no possible answer as to how they
were going to stop the massive spill. Another impact was sustained by the

The Effect Of The Oil Spill On The Gulf Of Mexico
On April 28th, 2010 cleanup crews were rushing to clean up a huge oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico.
This spill occurred because of an oil rig explosion that took place on April 20th. The oil spill was
threatening miles of coast line in four different states, and not to mention marine wild life that live
in those waters. This oil spill soon became the worst oil spill the United States had ever seen. There
were 126 workers on board the oil rig when it exploded, most of the workers escaped, but eleven
were missing but then confirmed dead. The cause of the explosion is being investigated. Since the
explosion, experts estimated a total of 210,000 gallons of oil were spilling into the gulf. Experts are
also worried about the sea life and how

Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico Essay
One World Essay: Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico
Scientific Reasoning:
The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is a human problem, like most other disasters. What this
means is that once the place thrived and was ecologically balanced, but we tipped the balance
slightly and wrecked havoc upon the environment. It has been noted to occur since the 1950's and is
ongoing. The reason that this dead zone occurs is because of a phenomenon known as
eutrophication. Eutrophication is when there is an excessive amount of nutrients in a body of water
and it causes an abundance of plants to grow. In this case the nearby farms had been using nitrogen
in their fertilizers. The nitrogen got carried into the ocean through rain and other forms of ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Some species might thrive in conditions that other struggle to survive. For example some predators
might need more oxygen then a smaller prey. With less predators being around, there is a huge burst
in prey, which can eat up all of the bacteria. When the bacteria all die, the prey can't find any food
and all die out. This causes a very unreliable food chain and can be dangerous to live in. In hypoxic
zones what tends to happen is that marine life such as fish or shrimp die out quickly while the
smaller organisms live. This causes whole species to die out leaving a dominance of gelatinous
creatures such as jellyfish to thrive in. Economic Problems:
There are many economical problems due to the dead zone ranging from fisheries going out of
business to illnesses. The economical problems have paid their toll on nearby fishers whom in total
have paid over 10 billion US dollars to repair the problem. Sadly though, no matter how much they
pay, the problem is still on going. The gulf's massive fishing industry is trying to focus its efforts on
the parts that have been affected in an attempt to save their sea. According to many sources, EPA
views this problem as unimportant and hasn't helped yet. The reason that it is so hard to come to an
agreement is because there is no solution that pleases everyone. Right now the farmers up north of
the gulf are having an easy time because of easy and cheap waste disposal while downstream the
fishers are

Gulf Of Mexico Environmental Disasters
In 2010 on April 20th the Gulf of Mexico had seen the worst environmental disaster the world had
ever seen. It started as an explosion on a BP oil rig that took the lives of 11 people and injuring 17
while leaking "...at least 3 million barrels of oil..." (Bryant & Hunter, 2010, para. 2 This was not the
first accident that has happened to BP but, certainly the most costly. In 2005 there was an explosion
at a refinery in Texas that killed 15 and injured over 180 people (Bryant & Hunter, 2010). They
ended up paying over "...2 billion in damages and lawsuits" (Bryant & Hunter, 2010, para. 5). With
the 2005 incident, BP had cut costs in their operating budget and also lowered the safety standards
of the company (Bryant & Hunter, 2010). There

Effects Of Eutrophication In The Gulf Of Mexico
Graham Nickelson
Intro Environmental Policy
Krister Andersson
15 November 2014
Eutrophication in the Gulf of Mexico
Seasonally, the Gulf region experiences eutrophication due to an overload of nutrients in the
watershed. Over seventy percent of the nitrogen and phosphorus that ends up in the Gulf of Mexico
originates from agriculture. The input of nutrients into the Gulf region causes a massive algal
bloom. The algae take up all of the excess nutrients, and then die off. Decomposers then break down
the dead organisms and use up all of the oxygen in the water, leaving a dead zone. The lack of
oxygen in the water supply kills The anthropocentric approach to agriculture is necessary to be sure
we meet the nutritional needs of our citizens, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The effects of eutrophication will not be experienced downstream if the nutrients fail to enter the
watershed upstream. A study by Ribaudo et al. in 2000 found that a cost–effective approach to
reducing the hypoxic region is fertilizer management or reduction. Wu and Tanaka (2005) found that
implementing a fertilizer tax is cost–effective and would reduce inputs of nutrients into the
watershed. The federal government currently has a system that could grow and become more
prevalent as farmers take action to reduce their runoff. A $3 billion United States grant is in place to
fund cover crops for farmers. Cover crops are planted to take up excess nutrients in the soil and
stabilize the soil to prevent erosion. This method, in addition to fertilizer reduction, has been
effective in reducing agricultural runoff in Ohio. Almost 500 farmers in Ohio have applied for a
portion of the grant to not only help their agricultural productivity, but also to reduce the impact of
agricultural runoff on fisheries. Lawmakers already passed a law limiting the amount of agricultural
runoff from farms in Ohio. For the next three years, participation with the guidelines is voluntary
and encouraged, but the law will become mandatory after the third year. The voluntary efforts
proved to be ineffective. The law was passed months before Toledo, Ohio experienced a water crisis
due to toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie and many inland lakes. While the law does not address limits
on fertilizer, it is a step in the right direction. More analysis will have to be done once the law takes
full effect in

The Role Of Ecosystems In The Gulf Of Mexico
Of the coral communities studied, at least half of the reefs were dead. This presents a huge problem
for the entire ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico as coral reefs are the base of said ecosystem. Reefs
provide organic matter and shelter for several benthic organisms (sponges, worms, clams, crabs,
lobsters, etc.). The destruction of shelter poses threats to all of the organisms who live on coral
reefs.
There is no doubt that the leaking of 130 million gallons of oil threw off the ecosystem. As a base of
the ecosystem, coral reef death could largely affect all marine life in any part of food chain in the
long–term. Ecosystems can be extremely sensitive to the smallest changes and the death of the coral
reefs has been linked to reduced ecosystem

Dead Zone: Hypoxia In The Gulf Of Mexico
According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, a dead zone is "an area of water (as in a lake or ocean) in
which the level of dissolved oxygen is so depleted (as by the decay of an algal bloom) that most life
cannot be sustained"("Dead Zone"). In the Gulf of Mexico, between the time of Spring and
Summer, a dead zone or hypoxic zone occurs off the coast. Although this can occur naturally around
the world, on the coast of Gulf of Mexico the large size affected is result of anthropogenic
interference of city sewage dump and farmland run off.
Another term used to describe an area deficient in oxygen is known as hypoxia. A few things that
may cause hypoxia in an area are: 1. freshwater runoff and nutrient going in a river, 2. an abundance
on nutrients ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, which funded the scientists'
research, estimates that the dead zone costs U.S. seafood and tourism industries $82 million a year.
The impact could be devastating to the Gulf's seafood industry, which accounts for more than 40
percent of the nation's seafood. Louisiana is second in seafood production only to Alaska."
("nature.org"). As a result of the hypoxic zone created, fish move further out into sea to avoid being
trapped in the zone, causing fishermen to spend more time and money to acquire the usual catches.
A more severe extent of what an anthropogenic dead zone can create bring threats to the drinking
water, and form acid rain or smog. "The problem stems from both agricultural and urban run–off.
Farmers use phosphorus and nitrates to grow their crops, which eventually find their way to the
Mississippi River. Growing cities means more land under concrete and less soil for polluted water to
soak into instead of becoming runoff. All these factors that have contributed to the dead zone can
fortunately be fixed or improved."("nature.org"). Solutions to a problem for this dead zone would
rely heavily on human acknowledgment and involvement. some of the solutions are: using friendly
landscaping techniques that require less fertilizer, prevent soil erosion, leaving grass

The Role Of Environmental Problems In The Gulf Of Mexico
With The Gulf of Mexico being the ninth largest body of water in the world, it is obvious that there
may be a few environmental problems. The estuaries of The Gulf of Mexico are being destroyed and
there is no one to point fingers at except ourselves. Estuaries provide humans with many uses and
benefits such as a water supply, trading ports, agricultural support, sport and commercial fisheries,
and even recreational uses for swimming or jet skiing. People from all over the world come to our
city of Pensacola just to enjoy our beautiful gulf that we take for granted and treat horribly. Tourism
in the gulf generates around $20 billion per year, while the waters yield about 1.51 billion pounds of
fish and shellfish in 1996. In 1996, the Gulf of Mexico also contributed 57% of the entire oyster
production in the United States. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
According to the EPA, Texas and Louisiana are ranked first and second in the US for releasing the
most amount of toxic chemicals. With the help of their neighboring states, so many unwanted
nutrients flow into the gulf–– fertilizer is said to contribute up to 25% of the nutrient input. Nitrogen
and phosphorus are both found in the Gulf of Mexico which could be deadly to both humans and
animals. Too much of these nutrients in the water can result in rapid algae growth, which in turn
harms the water, food, habitats, and even leads to hypoxia. Hypoxia has actually been documented
for over 7,000 square miles along the coast of only Louisiana and

Central Case: The Gulf Of Mexico
This lecture will help you understand:
The nature of environmental systems
Ecosystems and how living and nonliving entities interact
The carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, and water cycles
How plate tectonics and the rock cycle shape the Earth
Central Case: The Gulf of Mexico's "Dead Zone"
Gulf of Mexico brings in 600 million kg/year shrimp, fish, and shellfish
Gulf "dead zone"= a region of water so depleted of oxygen that kills or drives away marine
organisms
Hypoxia = low concentrations of dissolved oxygen water
Caused by fertilizer, runoff, sewage
Earth's environmental systems
Our planet's environment consists of complex networks of interlinked systems
Matter and molecules
Organisms, populations, interacting species
Nonliving entities ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The hydraulic cycle
Water is essential for biochemical reactions and is involved in nearly every environmental system
Hydrologic cycle = summarizes how liquid, gaseous and solid water flows through the environment
Oceans are the main reservoir
Evaporation = water moves from aquatic and land systems to air
Transpiration = release of water vapor by plants
Precipitation = condensation of water vapor as rain or snow
Groundwater
Aquifers = underground reservoirs of sponge–like regions of rock and soil that hold ...
Groundwater = water found underground beneath layers of soil
Water table = the upper limit of groundwater held in an aquifer

Water may be ancient (thousands of years old)
Groundwater becomes exposed to the air where the water table reaches the surface
Human impacts on hydrologic cycle
Damming rivers increases evaporation and infiltration
Altering the surface and vegetation increases runoff and erosion
Spreading water on agricultural fields depletes rivers, lakes and streams
Removing forests and vegetation reduces transpiration and lowers water tables
Emitting pollutants changes the nature of precipitation
The most threatening impact is overdrawing groundwater for drinking, irrigation, and industrial use
Decreasing

Hypoxic Zone In The Gulf Of Mexico
The article I chose relates to the dead zone found in the Gulf of Mexico every year. There is a
location in the Gulf of Mexico known as a hypoxic zone, which is an area with depleted oxygen
levels. This is a result of nutrient run–off from the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin. The rivers
receive a large amount of nutrients from many sources, including but not limited to, fertilizers from
farmlands and golf courses, to urban runoff, sewer treatment plant discharge, and atmospheric
nitrogen deposits. In addition, the nutrients from these sources cause harm to the Gulf of Mexico
because they cause an increase of algae growth in the area usually known as red tide. The algae
releases toxins in the water, killing many of the marine mammal life

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico Essay
In the wake of one of the worst oil spills since the Exxon–Valdez disaster, a massive inquiry into the
underlying cause of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy has begun. Many people are wondering if this
was a case of poor engineering, corporate greed, negligence, or even simple operator failure.
Regardless of the cause, the crude oil is beginning to reach the United States coastline, and a
guaranteed fix for the leak is nowhere in sight. In today's technologically advanced world, when a
disaster like this occurs it is the responsibility of those involved to do what is ethically right, and to
immediately take action with all available resources without "pointing fingers". The Yale University
sociologist Charles Perrow believes that some ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
19, 20). While it is feasible that some unforeseen circumstances may be to blame, which is
consistent with Perrow's theories, the clean–up effort has not prevented the oil spill from reaching
land. When the contract was granted to BP, they accepted responsibility for the cleanup of a spill
fifty times larger than the one currently plaguing the Gulf of Mexico, yet they still have not shown
any firm, pre–meditated plans for the cleanup of the coastal waters. So when Mr. McKay testified
that the Transocean blowout preventer "failed to stop the leak", one must wonder how this is in any
way significant to the situation at hand (Clayton, 2010, p. 1 par. 3). Rather than shifting the blame to
a contractor in charge of the oil rig, it is BP's responsibility to fix the mess now. The environmental
impact of an oil spill can last for decades. In 1969, an oil tanker ran aground in Buzzard's Bay
Massachusetts, spilling 175,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the marine ecosystem. According to Dr.
Judy McDowell and Christopher Reddy, two scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution, it took about a decade for the normal inhabitants of the bay to return. What's more
troubling, is that even 40 years later, soil samples still reek of diesel fuel (Guarino & Spotts, 2010,
p. 2). This kind of damage can have an irreparable effect on the gulf states' economies. If it takes 10

The Reality Of The Gulf Of Mexico
An explosion that ruptures the ear drums of everyone within visible distance of it takes place. Five
seconds later, the sky is filled with an enormous black cloud of smoke. Breathing gets harder. The
water that was once blue is now dark black. Fish, birds, and other forms of life are fighting to
survive, pushing forward to stay afloat the darkened sea water. The mere fact that the once beautiful
creatures are now unidentifiable to the next. Not only is this taking place among the biodiversity
living in its natural habitat that is now foreign, but the blaze is strong. The fire burns stories high.
The fire burns powerful with no weakness. The fire burns. This is the reality of the Gulf of Mexico.
The reality of the possibilities not all ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This is important looking at the current situation based on the problem of climate change. Ice caps
are melting. Sea levels and temperatures are rising. Due to this, tropical storms or storms in general
are worsening and becoming more destructive not only to man built structures but to natural
habitats. This devastation across the board can only go so far. Every step that the human race can
take should and always be taken in order to avoid any more dehumanization, degradation, and
disastrous causations. There is not one solution for this situation, but there is a starting place.
Starting with decreasing dependence of oil and increasing the use of green energy, or renewable
energy. The process is going to take more than just that statement. Renewable energy is new and
still haven't been developed to its full extent so there is hesitation due to the unknown risk. But
because the hesitation exists, it causes the stalling of development. Something rather than nothing is
needed to take place in order to accomplish full independence from fossil fuels and the destruction
of the future.
First, the reason why Fossil fuel dependence is such a horrible thing is because of global warming.
Global Warming is anthropogenic, or caused by humans, because of fossil fuels. Within the last four
decades we have seen drastic increase in energy usage with fossil fuels. This exponential use of
fuels

The Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico
Principles Environmental Science Introduction Rig of the drilling Deep–water Horizon operated
under British petroleum failed in its operation sinking below the seawater of the Gulf of Mexico on
the 20th of April 2010. More than 11 workers lost their lives. After this incident, tons and tons of oil
gushed from the main opening of the well, buried 1600 meters below the sea level. Necessary steps
have been taken to take control on the spill but still there is much to handle when it comes to the
consistent danger being faced by the environment. The main culprit ingredient of the incident is the
petroleum posing a number of disastrous effects to the environment. Types of Air and Water
Pollutants Fresh oil present on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico being the primary pollutant
evaporates in the air. This oil is broken down into tiny particles called the aerosols, which are
designated to be the secondary pollutants. The aerosols that include certain classes of hydrocarbons
are not easily broken down hence remaining in the air. Other than the aerosols, a significant amount
of alkyl nitrates, hexane, methane, and butane compounds have been identified in the air which
along with the aerosols are skin irritants and can cause dizziness (Landau, 2011, p. 67). Aerosols
have been related to lung cancers. Surprisingly, the concentration of these compounds in the air is
much higher when compared to the highly polluted environments of Los Angeles, Oklahoma and
Mexico. The oil

Shipwrecks In The Gulf Of Mexico
Recovering artifacts from the shipwreck, people are fascinated about exploring old things that were
lost or destroyed in the past. For that, scientists were searching shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico,
they have discovered two sunken ships that went down during a storm in the 1800s. The ships they
found were in deep underwater, about 4,363 feet down, which makes the ships the deepest Gulf or
North American shipwrecks that have ever been studied. In 2011, a crew from the Shell Oil
company found a shipwreck and asked the scientists and leaders in the U.S. to come and studied it.
People want to know if how do they research the ships was an underwater robot to take a look at it.
Just to make sure that nothing happens to it, they armed six

Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Every day individuals take the true beauty of our nation by visiting
recreational areas along with beaches. Oil spills create nothing, but negative effects on the areas that
it happens in. Many plants and animals are affected by this negative disaster which sickness the
animals or some even die from it. Maybe if more time and money was spent working on having
more efficient renewable energy sources than digging up a source of fuel that will eventually run out
we would not have as much of a problem. On April 20, 2010 the largest accidental marine oil spill
in human history took place in the Gulf of Mexico. The incident resulting in methane gas was
released and exploded killing 11 rig workers and having a major impact on our marine wildlife.
As Drew Griffin states "The federal government estimated 4.2 million barrels of oil spilled into the
Gulf, but BP argued in court that it was much lower. A judge ruled BP was responsible for the
release of 3.1 million barrels. (Griffin, 2015) Regardless of the amount look what damage it has
done and the many lives that are affected by this disaster. Many say for 87 days in a row due to an
uncapped wellhead lead to this disaster. The loss of money, family seafood business, town tourist
revenue, were affected by the oil spill. As Allbusiness eidotors states "For Voisin and other
fishermen, the spill couldn't have come at a worse time. "Processing plants are idle and we are in
middle of spring larval season,"

Bp : The Spill Of The Gulf Of Mexico
On April 20, 2010, an explosion occurred aboard BP contracted Transocean Ltd Deepwater Horizon
oil rig stationed in the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven workers were killed instantly. Unfortunately, the BP
management did not wake up that morning (or countless mornings before) expecting the event to
occur for it took them almost 4 months to clean up the spill. The first month was spent forecasting
the rate of the spill and having President Barack Obama tour the site. Only on May 26, 2010 did BP
initiate the first form of clean up procedure known as "top kill". Needless to say, this attempt failed.
Thus, well over into the second month after the incident, oil remained leaking and BP had not yet
figured out how to contain it. Finally on July 10, 2010 BP removed a timeworn containment cap
from the well to install a new one. At last, on July 15, the oil stopped flowing freely. Noting that it
took BP over 4 months to replace a timeworn containment cap just to stop oil from contaminating
the Gulf of Mexico, it is readily questioned why such a well–established mega giant never
considered the chance of having a blast at an operating site. On the bright side, due to this incident
and similar others, numerous organizations have been formulating and establishing emergency or
disaster plans and policies to respond to a variety of disaster scenarios. Thus, suggesting that
contingency planning is imperative for an organization in the long run in order to avoid massive
instant loss since there

Disaster Disasters Of The Gulf Of Mexico
Throughout human history there have been many disasters that have plagued humanity. These
disasters have caused an untold amount of damages and an untold number of lives lost. Each
disaster is different from each other and each can leave their own impact on human civilization.
Many of these disasters are of the nature variety, these typically include your hurricanes, tornados,
tsunamis, and many others that can impact humanity. We can't control these types of disasters, any
many of them can strike at any time with little to no warning. The best that we can do is learn from
them and our past mistakes, in order to prepare for the next time one of these types of disasters
strikes an area. There is, however another type of disaster that plagues mankind, and that is called
man–made disasters. One of the biggest man–made disasters to have occurred in more recent time,
was the "Event Horizon" disaster or as it is better known as the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
This was one the worst because millions upon millions of barrels of crude oil spilled into the Gulf of
Mexico, which not only damages the surrounding waters, but also killed marine life, destroyed
many fishing businesses' around the Gulf, and in some cases destroyed the tourism around the gulf
as well. In order to get a better understanding of why this event was important we need to look at
what caused the event to happen in the first place, could have anything been done to prevent it from
happening in the first

Bp Gulf Mexico
1. Do you agree or disagree with Tony Hayward's quote at the end of the case? Was this disaster
strictly a BP failure or an industry accident? (One of my biggest mistakes was that I allowed myself
to become the lightning rod for hatred and anger." He went on to say, "I genuinely feel that this
could have happened to anyone. This is not BP. It is an industry accident.)
I mostly agree with Tony Hayward because an accident of that size is a result of a complex
combination of mechanical failures, human decisions, problems in engineering design and
operational difficulties.
It is true that the problema could be avoided by a better performance of BP, but on the other hand
there are regulators that allow that company's behavior.
2. What ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The aim of these actions are increasing profits by reducing costs.
The companies didn't have very strict rules to obey and they were not forced to follow the rules,
consequently, companies could make wrong decisions in terms of safety for people and
environment.
Furthermore, U.S. regulators didn't do their job properly when they were exercising the oversight of
activity in the gulf, this fact can be consequence of lobbying pressure from such a powerful industry.
4. In what ways did BP lack the appropriate safety culture? What could it have done to build a
stronger safety culture?
BP had a lack of safety culture in different aspects. The emergency systems and alarms didn't work
as expected, they were using centralizers that didn't used before. Moreover, the results of stability
tests weren't analyzed as they should. The company did shortcuts that didn't allow workers to fulfill
all the tasks during the drilling process.
BP could prove a high level of personal safety, but it was not the same for the general safety.
Moreover, its centralized system implied lack of consistency in the security system.
In order to improve its safety culture, BP should check periodically that all the emergency systems
are working properly and make sure that

Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico
Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico Imagine 2,500 to 68,000 square miles covered in 4.9 million barrels
of oil. No, imagine being covered in 4.9 million barrels of oil. Picture yourself gasping for air in an
ocean filled with oil. That is exactly what birds, sea turtles, dolphins, and other animals had to do
after the most catastrophic oil spill of all time occurred on April 20, 2010. The oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico occurred because "oil from the well shot up and out of the drill column under high pressure,
extended on the drilling rig and exploded (wikipedia)". The rig set on fire and later sank. BP,
Transocean, along with government agency employer, all worked hard to avoid further spread of the
oil. Regardless of their attempt, the spread of the oil to the surface and shore of the ocean was
inevitable. Therefore, all marine animals were affected by the oil contamination in the Gulf of
Mexico. Oil filled the blowholes and entered the lungs of dolphins and whales. This made breathing
almost impossible. One of the most endangered species of the sea were also affected by the oil spills
of the gulf, sea turtles. Turtles covered in oil were at risk of breathing the toxins of the oil,
potentially damaging their respiratory system. Texas residents report that dead sea turtles continue
to wash up. Although it is estimated that about 6,000 sea turtles have been harmed by the oil spill,
only 1,146 have been officially collected. I think that the most memorable images of the

Gulf Of Mexico Dead Zone Essay
Dead Zone Problem in the Gulf of Mexico
The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is one of many throughout the world. There are many factors
that cause the dead zone and not all dead zones are caused from the same things. In the Gulf of
Mexico the dead zone is cause by nitrogen and phosphorus (fertilizer) go into the gulf and trigger
phytoplankton blooms or algae blooms. First the oxygen rich water comes into the gulf and stratifies
going to the bottom. Then the majority of the the nitrogen and phosphorus from agriculture and
urban run offs from the Mississippi River watershed flow in the spring and early summer. For
example 70% come from where the Ohio and Mississippi rivers meet, 39% come from Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, 22% come from Ohio river basin, and 11% from the Missouri
river basin, and the rest come from Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Next the
phytoplankton use all that fertilizer and die. Then the phytoplankton falls to the bottom of the sea
and decomposes using all the oxygen. Then because of water stratification the oxygen levels on the
bottom do not get ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Based off of the data in a few years I think that size of the dead zone can be reduced to that size.
The reasoning for this is because generally from 2002 the trend of the graph has been going down.
If the government keeps on doing what they are doing to reduce the dead zone then they can reduce
it to 5,000 square km in the future. In 2014 the size of the dead zone was about 13,000 square km.
Even though the dead zone was so big in 2014 the trend for the data is to be high one year(15,000
sq. km. 2013), high another year (13,000 sq. km.), then low(8,000 sq. km.), and 2015 is that low
year. The reason this is evidence about the 2015 goal is that data shows the trends of the dead

The Macondo Blowout In The Gulf Of Mexico

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to The Macondo Blowout In The Gulf Of Mexico

Similar to The Macondo Blowout In The Gulf Of Mexico (9)

More from Kimberly Gomez

More from Kimberly Gomez (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

The Macondo Blowout In The Gulf Of Mexico