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Current and Potential Impacts of the Gulf Oil Spill

Current and Potential Impacts of the Gulf Oil Spill. Megan Westmeyer. Timeline. Deepwater Horizon floating rig exploratory drilling 50 miles southeast of Venice water nearly 1 mile deep only 40-50 rigs in Gulf drilling this deep April 20, 2010 – explosion – methane gas

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Current and Potential Impacts of the Gulf Oil Spill

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  1. Current and Potential Impacts of the Gulf Oil Spill Megan Westmeyer

  2. Timeline • Deepwater Horizon • floating rig • exploratory drilling 50 miles southeast of Venice • water nearly 1 mile deep • only 40-50 rigs in Gulf drilling this deep • April 20, 2010 – explosion – methane gas • April 22, 2010 – rig topples, oil begins to leak from well in sea floor • Blow-out preventer failed • Three leaks, one has been sealed

  3. Current situation • Leaking ~210,000 gallons (5,000 barrels) per day • Exxon Valdez in 1989 was 11 million gallons • Attempted to place large “funnel” over leak on Saturday 5/8 • Gas-water crystals clogged • Mitigation: booms, skimming, burning, dispersants (bad weather disrupts) • Oil started showing up on shore over the weekend

  4. What next for BP? • Drilling relief well (2-3 months) • Retry box, but higher in water column • Other kind of box with heat source to prevent crystallization • Pump mud and concrete into blowout preventer (2-3 weeks) • Cut the pipe, connect larger pipe – could make it worse, could contain completely

  5. Is Gulf seafood safe to eat? • If it makes it to market, yes • Affected portions of Gulf closed to harvest • Federal and state agencies testing seafood in Gulf and on land (established benchmarks first) • Scientists testing Gulf water and sediments

  6. Fishery Closures • From http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/ • Current Federal Closure • Office of Response and Restoration – daily updates and projections • http://response.restoration.noaa.gov • Also see Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at www.wlf.louisiana.gov for state water closures and oyster closures

  7. Affected seafood products • Gulf seafood production • Oysters • Shrimp • Crab • Snapper and grouper

  8. Oysters • Immobile, filter feeders • 67% of U.S. oysters • LA dominates; substantial production in TX, MS, wFL • Affected portions of LA and MS produce >50% of U.S. oysters • MS scheduled to close on April 30; re-open in fall

  9. Shrimp • Spring and summer - adult shrimp leave the salt marshes and move offshore to spawn • Affect adults and offspring (next year’s crop) • Gulf of Mexico produces about 73% of the U.S. harvested shrimp • Dominated by LA, TX close second, AL, MS, and wFL smaller but substantial amounts • Closed areas are about 40-45% of Gulf production or about 30% of national production

  10. Crab • Crab harvest in near shore waters - harvest typically peaking during the summer and spawning peaking during the fall • Most of Gulf harvest in LA – 26% of U.S. harvest

  11. Snapper and grouper • More likely to be affected in the long-term • Spawning throughout the late spring and summer • Larvae and juveniles inhabit shallower and inshore waters – vulnerable to chemicals • Dispersants may make oil more available to adults

  12. Dispersants • Separates the oil into smaller droplets • Dispersed throughout the water column • Prevent surface slick – affects beaches, marshes, animals – immediate damage • Does not destroy or eliminate oil – dilutes and alters until natural degradation • Where does it go? – complex currents, water vs sediment • What does it do? – food chain, toxicity

  13. Sea Grant Info Hub • www.gulfseagrant.org • Developments • Recovery • Economic Value • Human Health • Oil and Wildlife • Maps and Map Services • Background Information

  14. Websites • NOAA Fishery Closures http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/ • NOAA oil spill daily updates and predictions http://response.restoration.noaa.gov • Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries closures www.wlf.louisiana.gov • Gulf Sea Grant information hub www.gulfseagrant.org • For more info contact: Megan Westmeyer at mwestmeyer@scaquarium.org

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