Marine life in the Gulf of Mexico after Oil Spill Essay Example

be seen to have changed to brown sludge and some smothered turtles had been washed up to the beaches. From a research that had been carried out, between 2002 and 2009, the total number of dolphins that had died was approximated to be sixty three. Seven months after the oil spill, the number rose to one hundred and twenty five. By the end of 2011, the number of dead dolphins has risen to three hundred and thirty five. The number of Kemp`s ridley sea turtle nests has from then been going down. The only thing that has not been known about this incidence is the long term effects of the oil a spill.

The birds around this area were a bit unlucky to have experienced this oil spill. The surface oil harmed seabirds to the extreme that even the smallest bit of oil on their feathers made it hard for them to fly, find food through diving or swimming. The number of birds that died due to this numbered to hundreds of thousands but research is still ongoing to come up with the effect it might have caused on those birds that were living in the marshes at the gulf coast. This oil spill claimed a total of eleven workers and injured seventeen others. Although some of the effects of this oil spill remain undefined, some of the areas that had been closed down have been opened and research is currently taking place to come up with the long term effects.

Generally, apart from the effects caused by the oil spill at the Gulf of Mexico, there are general effects of marine pollution. Coral reefs are ocean

features which are not only viewed as beautiful but are also habitats for sea creatures. Oil is said to clog up at the gills of fish which live there hence suffocates them to death (Vermeij & Geerat 406) Having that oil never mixes with water, it forms a layer at the ocean which blocks sunlight then prevents the marine plants from accessing light which in turn leads to difficult in photosynthesis. Human beings become victims of marine pollution through the benefit they get from marine animals. Human beings eat fish, when these fish are affected by oil spills then this directly translates to a buildup of toxins in the tissues of human beings. This is one of the causes of human cancer, reproduction disorders and birth defects. The environment contains many balloons, milk cartons, plastic bags and medical wastes (McIntyre et al 234). These materials end up getting washed into the ocean. Some sea creatures like turtles and birds end up digesting these materials which in turn lead to clogging of their digestive systems (Vermeij & Geerat 412) Some of the sea creatures end up getting trapped in nets which makes their movement hard and end up drowning due to lack of access to the surface where they can access fresh air. These animals end facing painful deaths just because of an issue which could be avoided.

Since this oil spill which took place in 2010, it has been five years of research, trying to come up with different ways of restoring normal life in the Gulf of Mexico. The sandy beaches of this gulf faced a wash up of oil scientifically known as “viscous mousse”

Three years after the incidence; oil could still be seen on the shoreline. Efforts for a clean-up including sifting of the sand to remove oil and excavation have been launched to make the place a better place for the sea creatures. the gulf of Mexico just face the worst oil spill in the history of united states, different leaders have willingly devoted themselves to make much of their investment in the process of restoring the marine life of the gulf of Mexico. A restoration act has been passed and the Gulf ecosystem restoration council has been given the responsibility of planning for the restoration of the coast region of the gulf. After this great oil spill of 2010, it has left the rest of the world with a challenge to put in place measures which include strict measures to avoid any future oil spills (Vermeij & Geerat 453)
Human beings are left with no option but to take care of the marine life just the way they take care of their domestic animals. It would be a shame for the human species to wipe away marine life out of careless mistakes of oil spills and marine pollution.

Work cited

1. Weaver, Paul. "Gulf of Mexico." Geological Society of America Special Papers 62 (1955): 269- 278.
2. Hoese, H. Dickson, and Richard H. Moore."Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and adjacent waters." (1977).
3. Crone, Timothy J., and Maya Tolstoy."Magnitude of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil leak." Science 330.6004 (2010): 634-634.
4. Vermeij, Geerat J. Biogeography and adaptation: patterns of marine life. Harvard University Press, 1978.
5. McIntyre, A. D., and J. B. Pearce."Biological effects of marine pollution and the problems of monitoring." (1980).