Oct 21, 2026 03:57 PM
https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/b...-years-on/
EXCERPTS: Marine populations in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico plummeted by roughly 60 percent in the years following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion, with little evidence of recovery, a new study has revealed. In a critical mid-water area of the Gulf where the BP-operated well failed—releasing 134 million gallons of oil—fish numbers fell by 63.5 percent between 2011 and 2015.
According to research published on Monday in the journal PNAS, crustaceans such as shrimp and krill dropped 62 percent, while larger creatures including squid and octopuses declined by 59.7 percent. Researchers focused on the ocean’s "twilight zone," an expansive region above the seabed where marine life, including dolphins and whales, feed on smaller creatures.
[...] "We saw this big decline," Sutton said. "The question was then why? So we looked at all of the natural variables we thought could account for it, namely temperature, oxygen supply and food. None of those vary with the decline. The event that did was the oil spill. So we think that’s the most likely cause of the decline."
Ongoing sampling through 2015 and beyond showed populations remained suppressed, with slight upticks in 2022 and 2023 that proved statistically insignificant and temporary, Sutton explained. The research team documented the collapse using net catches, acoustic sonar data, and genetic analyses showing reduced genetic diversity from inbreeding.
While the initial explosion killed 11 workers and nearly five months of leaking petroleum caused widespread immediate deaths, surviving animals passed absorbed pollutants into their eggs, leaving subsequent generations increasingly compromised, Sutton noted.
BP spokesperson Paul Takahashi said the accident "forever changed" the company: "We have made many changes intended to help prevent an event like this from ever happening again."
[...] Dalhousie University marine scientist Boris Worm added: "It’s shocking how a single failure in a drilling rig can have this vast and sustained impact over thousands of square kilometers, with little visible recovery over 13 years after the spill." (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPTS: Marine populations in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico plummeted by roughly 60 percent in the years following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion, with little evidence of recovery, a new study has revealed. In a critical mid-water area of the Gulf where the BP-operated well failed—releasing 134 million gallons of oil—fish numbers fell by 63.5 percent between 2011 and 2015.
According to research published on Monday in the journal PNAS, crustaceans such as shrimp and krill dropped 62 percent, while larger creatures including squid and octopuses declined by 59.7 percent. Researchers focused on the ocean’s "twilight zone," an expansive region above the seabed where marine life, including dolphins and whales, feed on smaller creatures.
[...] "We saw this big decline," Sutton said. "The question was then why? So we looked at all of the natural variables we thought could account for it, namely temperature, oxygen supply and food. None of those vary with the decline. The event that did was the oil spill. So we think that’s the most likely cause of the decline."
Ongoing sampling through 2015 and beyond showed populations remained suppressed, with slight upticks in 2022 and 2023 that proved statistically insignificant and temporary, Sutton explained. The research team documented the collapse using net catches, acoustic sonar data, and genetic analyses showing reduced genetic diversity from inbreeding.
While the initial explosion killed 11 workers and nearly five months of leaking petroleum caused widespread immediate deaths, surviving animals passed absorbed pollutants into their eggs, leaving subsequent generations increasingly compromised, Sutton noted.
BP spokesperson Paul Takahashi said the accident "forever changed" the company: "We have made many changes intended to help prevent an event like this from ever happening again."
[...] Dalhousie University marine scientist Boris Worm added: "It’s shocking how a single failure in a drilling rig can have this vast and sustained impact over thousands of square kilometers, with little visible recovery over 13 years after the spill." (MORE - missing details)