November 11, 2010
11:15 PM
Coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico have sustained a great amount of damage or are already dead as a result of the BP oil spill. The BP oil well blew out six months ago and just a few miles from that location dead coral has been found. Tropical water ecosystems face collapsing without the presence of healthy coral reefs, due to their contribution to the stabilization of the food chain and ocean environment. After the oil spill plumes were reported, which are dead zones in the ocean that lack oxygen. These dead zones make it impossible for life to survive. It is not known if the plumes are responsible for the damage to the coral reefs or if it is another effect from the oil spill but substantial amounts of harm are being done to the environment. Before the well was finally sealed over 170 million gallons of toxins were spilled into the Gulf.
Ocean dead zones will contribute to the collapse of fisheries across the globe. There is already a substantial decrease in the amount and size of fish that are being caught today compared to twenty years ago. Eventually in a worst case scenario a collapse of fisheries will lead to food scarcity. This will then lead to a decrease in economic productivity, followed by riots, and starvation. Of course we don’t solely depend on the ocean for our sustenance so this is not likely to happen but there are communities that rely heavily on the resources from the ocean that could be greatly affected.
2 comments:
Its terrible that the oil spill in the gulf happened. Not only did we lose so many barrels of oil, it also caused many fishers and fisheries to lose their jobs, and killed and harmed thousands of creatures and ecosystems in the gulf. It may be many months or even years before the oil spill and its effects are gone. I suppose all we can do is hope that not all sea life and coral reefs will get destroyed in the gulf and one day it will begin to grow again. Hopefully this will be last major oil spill to ever happen and companies like BP will take extra precaution to make sure that it never does.
The BP oil spill was actually very angering and frustrating. If a company isnt able to keep it under control then y even put a well there. And if they are going to put one there they need to have a back up plan if their original one doesn't work. Taking care of the waters surrounding us is important. coral reefs don't grow over night and this is going to take years to get back to where it was.
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