The Deepwater Horizon Oil spill was a tragic disaster affecting the ecosystem and the life within it. It is also known as the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill. 11 workers passed away, 17 were seriously injured, and more than 200 million gallons flooded into the Gulf in only 80 days. Marine life was covered in oil and so were beaches, 80,000 square miles of commercial and recreational fishing grounds were shut down because they were considered dangerous. It took months for crabs, oysters, shrimp, fish, and crabs to be deemed safe to eat. Oyster industries suffered tremendously as well, an economic and environmental letdown caused by a single oil spill. The rig was located approximately 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana, it burned for 2 days after exploding and then sunk. The rig sinking triggered the largest oil spill in history. BP is responsible for the oil spill, the company that leased the rig. BP tried to clean up the spill by releasing 1.8 million gallons of dispersants into the water. It is almost impossible to know how many marine animals were killed due to the oil spill. It is estimated that 82,000 birds, 6,165 sea turtles, and 25,900 marine mammals were all killed by the oil spill.
December 1998: Construction begins on the rig
February 2001: The rig is delivered
April 20th 2010: The Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig exploded in the Gulf Of Mexico.
April 23rd, 2010: The rig sinks
April 28th, 2010: The coastguard starts controlled fires in order to attempt to burn of the oil from the surface.
April 29th, 2010: President Obama addresses the spill
May 2nd, 2010: USA closes areas affected by the oil.
May 6th, 2010: The oil reaches the shores of the Chandeleur Islands.
The photo below shown below shows aftermath of the oil spill.
Credits: https://themalaysianreserve.com/2017/10/17/gulf-mexico-oil-spill-may-largest-since-2010-bp-disaster/
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