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[HEALTH] · United States · 8 sources

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Part of situation: Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon environmental impact (2 clusters)

Gulf of Mexico marine life declined significantly after BP oil spill

Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico marine ecosystem oil spill twilight zone

A new study published in the journal PNAS reveals that marine life in the Gulf of Mexico's twilight zone has declined significantly following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Researchers found that the number of fish in this region, located between the ocean surface and 5,000 feet deep, dropped by 63.5% between the year following the spill and 2015.

Other significant declines were observed in crustaceans like shrimp and krill, which fell by 62%, and larger animals such as squid and octopuses, which decreased by 59.7%. Lead author Tracey Sutton, a biological oceanographer at Nova Southeastern University, noted that natural variables such as temperature, oxygen supply, and food availability did not account for the decline, pointing to the oil spill as the most likely cause.

Despite slight, statistically insignificant increases in populations during 2022 and 2023, the study concludes that these deep-sea ecosystems have not yet recovered from the release of 134 million gallons of oil.

Entities

BP · Gulf of Mexico · Nova Southeastern University · PNAS · Tracey Sutton

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Sources

Marine life dramatically declined in Gulf of Mexico in years after BP oil spill, study finds [mymotherlode.com]
Study Finds Surveyed Gulf Deep-Water Animals Depleted Through 2023 [econotimes.com]
Marine life dramatically declined in Gulf of Mexico in years after BP oil spill, study finds [www.wishtv.com]
Marine life dramatically declined in the Gulf in years after BP oil spill, study finds [abc13.com]
Marine life dramatically declined in the Gulf in years after BP oil spill, study finds [abc7.com]
Marine life dramatically declined in the Gulf in years after BP oil spill, study finds [abc7news.com]
Marine life dramatically declined in Gulf of Mexico in years after BP oil spill, study finds [triblive.com]
Marine life dramatically declined in Gulf of Mexico in years after BP oil spill, study finds [www.wbrz.com]