In this article, we learned about the long term effects that the Bp oil spill could have. What I really like about this article is how is presented is how they explain how different researchers from different Universities went to the gulf and did the research first hand. In the article it says, “In her recent month-long cruise in the Gulf of Mexico, University of Georgia oceanographer Samantha Joye identified areas of the seafloor hosting what looks to be substantial amounts of BP oil.” I liked this part of the article because you know that when she went down to the gulf she did her research. Another thing that I found very interesting is how you learn that a lot of the discharge is in the sediments. I found this very interesting because when this happened all you heard about was the oil that floated on the surface. By reading this article it really enhanced my perception of where a lot of the oil went. Finally, I thought it was amazing the new technology they developed. Before this was developed you were able to take about 10-12 measurements a day of the core. Now with this new technology you were able to take thousands of measurements in a day. I found this interesting because it really showed you how new technology helps us out in determining long-term problems.
This article will affect us in a few ways. One is that the oil will allow for less oxygen to escape. Therefore it will effectively kill all the organisms that are living in the sediments. Another thing is that when storms pass over the areas that contain the oil it will tend to resuspend the oil. This means that every time there are a storm the beaches around the gulf will have oil wash ashore. Also, there could be sediment pollution. The only good thing about this is that the new technology that they developed would be able to map the area of the seafloor and locate these deposits fairly quickly. As a result, they will be able to clean up the floor and get rid of the oil fairly quickly.
I think that there are a couple of ways in which the review could be made better. One of these ways is that they how they came up with the percents. One scientist stated that 50% of the oil in the spill is now in the sediments. What I found disappointing is that they actually don’t tell you how they got this or what they used to get this number. I also didn’t like how they don’t explain how it could harm marine life well. They briefly touch upon that subject and that was about it.
1 comment:
After the disastrous BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a majority of the oil (possibly 50%, according to the article) sunk to the bottom of the ocean. University of Georgia oceanographer Samantha Joye researched the seafloor and found large amounts of BP oil in the sediments. This fact was extremely interesting and worrisome, as this may mean the Florida Gulf may never recover. The description of how the oil will kill of all the sea life organisms was unexpected; I had no idea that the oil spill could cause damage to the creatures living on the sea floor. The organisms living at the bottom of the ocean may not have the ability to degrade the oil sediments. The description of the technology used to determine the state of the gulf was also well-described.
The review of the article was not perfect. The descriptions of how Samantha Joye determined how much oil was in the Gulf were somewhat vague, and I would have appreciated more information about this. I also found the recounting of how many measurements there were per day to be extremely unclear, as it did not specify what instrument was used to record these measurements.
This article could affect us in a number of ways. If the Gulf’s sea life disappears, the livelihood and the food supply for many people will go with it. This could lead to starvation and poverty for the people of Florida if something is not done quickly. The solution to this natural disaster is still lacking and the answer of how to prevent such an accident in the future is still unknown.
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