Gulf of Mexico Oil Leak

Current Status, Impacts, and Everglades Foundation Involvement

Photo sequence of Deepwater Horizon from April 20-22, 2010(images taken from Hall/Penniman report)

Deepwater Horizon Leak Information

• Initial estimate of 1,000 barrels (42,000 gallons) per day• Currently estimated at 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) per day• Some estimate much higher (25,000 – 80,000 bbl/day)• Surface strategies for mitigation/clean-up

– Heavy use of dispersants– Skimmers, booms and fire

• Subsurface control measures– Subsea Oil Recovery System (clogged with gas hydrate crystals)– Riser insertion siphon (estimated 1,000 barrels per day)– “Top kill” or “junk shot” (next)– Relief well (underway)

• Could take months to completely stop

2-Week Simulation of Buoyant Particle Transport Via Loop Current

(source: Dr. Robert Weisberg, Univ. South Florida)

Biological Impacts• Still to be determined

– may take years to begin full assessment– may never fully comprehend

• Direct exposure and “Bottom-up” (food web)• Dissolved oxygen: has already dropped 30% in affected areas• Fisheries

– commercial finfish and shellfish (1.3 million lbs landed in 2008)– nursery (all fishery species and many endangered or threatened)– sport fishing (> 3.2 million fishermen in 2008)

• Marine Mammals (21 species)• Sea turtles (5 species)• Birds (numerous seabirds, shore birds, wading birds, etc.)• Critical coastal everglades ecosystems (mangrove, seagrass, and coral reef).

Billfish larvae in upper Gulf of Mexico (2005-2009)(source: Dr. Jay Rooker, Texas A&M-Galveston)

Mean Density (No. per 1000m2)

Sailfish White marlin

Blue marlin

Satellite-derived Presence of Oil (May 13)(source: Dr. Chuanmin Hu, Univ. South Florida)

Satellite-derived Presence of Oil (Terra, 2010-05-17 16:36 UTC, MODIS )

May 15-20 Simulation of Particle Transport Via Loop Current (RTOFS)(source: Dr. Robert Weisberg, Univ. South Florida)

May 15-20 Simulation of Particle Transport Via Loop Current (HYCOM)(source: Dr. Robert Weisberg, Univ. South Florida)

Hydrocarbons below the surface?

• Evidence indicates oil plumes at depths of 4,000 ft. and 2,000 ft. below surface.

• Greatly complicates our predictive capacity (i.e., going from 2-D to 3-D).

• Might explain why surface plume has not grown dramatically over the past few weeks.

• May be a result of massive pumping of dispersants into leak area.

What are we doing?• Will continue to follow story as it unfolds• Will continue to engage scientists that are:– actively tracking and modeling oil– studying impacts on

• Water quality• Reef, seagrass, and mangrove ecosystems• Fish, marine mammals, wading birds, etc.

• Engaging the media, resource managers, and politicians regarding spill and potential impacts

• Working with National Park Service to develop a water quality program capable of detecting low-level contamination.