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ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. Oct.19, 2010 6 Months after Gulf Oil Spill, Uncertainty Reins
Despite Promising Improvement, Experts Say Long-Term Impact of Spill Remains Unknown for Gulf Coast
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Loads of shrimp and fish are hauled in, but processors are finding little demand from a wary public.
The federal government maintains much of the oil is now gone from the Gulf of Mexico. But independent researchers say they are discovering significant amounts of crude below the sea's surface, including on the ocean floor. They fear the oil that remains could harm species lower down the food chain and affect reproduction rates of fish such as bluefin tuna, which were spawning in the area at the time of the spill.
Oil is still buried in the sand on beaches across the coast, and crude continues to plague some of Louisiana's shores. Some marshes of Barataria Bay - home to productive shrimp nurseries and oyster beds, and thousands of sea birds and migratory species - are still being soiled.
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Despite Promising Improvement, Experts Say Long-Term Impact of Spill Remains Unknown for Gulf Coast
snip
Loads of shrimp and fish are hauled in, but processors are finding little demand from a wary public.
The federal government maintains much of the oil is now gone from the Gulf of Mexico. But independent researchers say they are discovering significant amounts of crude below the sea's surface, including on the ocean floor. They fear the oil that remains could harm species lower down the food chain and affect reproduction rates of fish such as bluefin tuna, which were spawning in the area at the time of the spill.
Oil is still buried in the sand on beaches across the coast, and crude continues to plague some of Louisiana's shores. Some marshes of Barataria Bay - home to productive shrimp nurseries and oyster beds, and thousands of sea birds and migratory species - are still being soiled.
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