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The top ten unexpected effects of the BP oil spill
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The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been called one of the greatest environmental disasters ever seen by the nation. It has easily surpassed the damage done by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, which dumped a comparatively tiny 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska’s Prince William sound – as much as the Deepwater Horizon gushed every four-and-a-half-days.
While people around the world have seen photos and videos, read reports and heard stories of the immediate damage done by the spill, it is the unexpected ripple effects – the danger facing wildlife on the Canadian border or the harm done to the food on our dinner plates – that will linger the longest and change the way the nation, not just the Gulf region, does business.
10. While the region’s wildlife continue to be killed by direct contact with the oil, the spill is also altering the Gulf’s food web. Organisms, which alternately act as predator or prey, are ingesting small bits of oil and either dying or transmitting more harmful contaminants into predators’ blood streams – and eventually, the food web.
9. It’s not just Gulf wildlife that will be forced to adjust to new contaminants and the possible disappearance of possible food sources – large migratory birds from places such as Michigan will be forced to adapt to a new environment during the winter. Smaller birds such as the piping plover are in greater danger and could be late victims of the spill, suffocating in the oily muck.
8. Scientists believe something other than oil has been released into the water, causing "mystery deaths." The majority of deaths show no visible sign of oil contamination. However, animals such as dolphins are exhibiting uncharacteristic behaviors that could be attributed to oil being inhaled or ingested.
7. Because the spill occurred in the spring, the life-cycles of many animals, such as oysters and shrimp, have been interrupted, spelling trouble not just for the present populations, but for future numbers as well.
6. As next year’s shrimp population is decimated, so too will be the livelihoods of those who depend upon the sale of shellfish. Prior to the spill, nearly 60 to 70 percent of oysters consumed in the U.S. come from the Gulf.
5. Because fisherman are off their boats, they will have to seek employment in other regions of the U.S., potentially crowding maritime industries on both coasts.
4. As Gulf seafood continues to appear in restaurants and on menus – albeit less frequently – fears about its safety have been voiced. Representative Edward J. Markey has asked the FDA to answer questions about potential dispersants, oil and other toxic compounds entering the food stream.
3. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the FDA have now begun testing all seafood. By employing seafood inspectors to literally sniff out oil, in addition to chemical testing, the agencies hope to prevent tainted seafood from reaching the marketplace.
2. Consequently, demand for Gulf coast seafood has plummeted, causing the price of shrimp and shellfish to more than double to compensate for lost revenue. The price of a bushel of male blue crabs, which was $55, jumped to $95 this past week.
1. Northern restaurants are feeling the repercussions as well. This week, NYC Restaurant Week kicked off with reduced Gulf seafood offerings, as chefs began removing or limiting the use of the region’s shrimp, crab and oysters.
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