[Coral-List] Oil Spill Impacts on Coral Reef Communities on Platforms

Steve Kolian stevekolian at hotmail.com
Fri Jun 4 02:22:40 EDT 2010


In response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, EcoRigs has been collecting video data on the coral reef communities inhabiting the offshore platforms.  To view data go to:
 
http://www.ecorigs.org/EcoRigsOilSpill.html
 
We have observed oil on the surface, the near surface (0-30 ft below the surface) and then deeper water plumes that occupy the entire water column (300 ft). On May 7th, oil was limited to the surface and just below (6 ft) the surface, on May 9th flocculated materials, which may or may not have contained oil, appeared in small quantities at 40 ft. On May 19th, three different oil stratification signatures were observed on three different platforms. One platform the oil was limited to the upper 6 ft, another the upper 40 ft, and a third, oil was present throughout the entire water column, as far as we could see. This is a great scientific opportunity to research because  the platforms occupy the entire water column, from the sea floor through the splash zone and shallow water and deep water organisms are present on the structures and very little is known about the impact of oil and dispersants on coral reef communities. This page will be updated as data arrives; written reports on each video are forthcoming. EcoRigs is self-funded so the progress is slow.   Listers comments are welcome, 

Best Regards, Steve Kolian 225-910-0304 cell

 		 	   		  
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