What areas were affected by the BP oil spill?

What areas were affected by the BP oil spill?

In the BP Oil Spill, more than 200 million gallons of crude oil was pumped into the Gulf of Mexico for a total of 87 days, making it the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. 16,000 total miles of coastline have been affected, including the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

How did BP oil spill affect coastal life?

“Salmon embryos exposed to oil, when they grow up, their babies are compromised, through mechanisms such as messing with the [hormonal] system,” says biologist Andrew Whitehead of Louisiana State University, who studied Louisiana marshes both before and after the oil spill.

How did the Deepwater Horizon affect the beaches?

Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill contaminated an estimated 965 kilometers of sandy beaches along the Gulf of Mexico coastline. In addition to the rapid degradation of smaller droplets, significant amounts of larger oil particles were extracted by sweeping mechanical excavation efforts.

Who did BP oil spill affect?

As many as 25,900 marine mammals may have been harmed by the spill. At least four species of marine mammals have been killed by the oil spill, including bottlenose dolphins, spinner dolphins, melon-headed whales and sperm whales.

How did the BP oil spill affect the Gulf Coast wildlife?

A 2017 study estimated that of at least 402,000 sea turtles exposed to oil during the spill, 51 percent were Kemp’s ridleys, the smallest and most critically endangered species. Before the spill, the Kemp’s ridley population had been projected to grow at a rate of 19 percent per year.

What were the long term effects of the BP oil spill?

A similar study found that citizens on the Gulf Coast had increased levels of anxiety, depression, and respiratory issues that lasted for several years after the catastrophe. Other coastal residents had similar symptoms including skin rashes, muscle cramps, pneumonia, migraines, and much more.

What was the aftermath of the BP oil spill?

There was a “blowout” that released gas and oil, leading to an explosion that killed 11 workers. The Deepwater Horizon rig was destroyed and sank two days later. Over the next nearly three months, 210 million gallons of oil flowed from the well into the Gulf.

What happened in the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill?

Deepwater Horizon – BP Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill. On April 20, 2010, the oil drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, operating in the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, exploded and sank resulting in the death of 11 workers on the Deepwater Horizon and the largest spill of oil in the history of marine oil drilling operations.

Did chemical dispersants help in the BP oil spill?

The magnitude of chemical dispersant was unique to the BP Oil Spill, and 10 years later, scientists are still conflicted as to whether the dispersants even helped at all.

What was the worst offshore oil spill in United States history?

The BP Oil Spill was the worst offshore oil spill in United States history. From April 20, 2010 to July 15, 2010, an estimated 134 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico.

How many birds were killed by the BP oil spill?

In addition, BP’s Macondo well oil itself smothered birds; more than 8,000 such birds representing 102 different species were collected—2,263 of them already dead—by government workers. Of course, this is likely just a fraction of the birds impacted because an oil-coated bird at sea sinks.