Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Massive fish kill reported in Louisiana

It's basic chemistry. Massive injection of hydrocarbons and chemical dispersants is certain to change Gulf's oxygen saturation. Once that saturation below a certain level, many species die.
Independent research also indicates that much of the oil still sits at the bottom of Gulf. Massive influx of hydrocarbons is the cause. Any disruption on the building blocks of the food chain, such as phytoplankton, will eventually affect all marine life in and around the Gulf. It is the microscopic or unseen changes that could prove to be the most damaging.

Fish kills are fairly common along the Gulf Coast, particularly during the summer in the area near the mouth of the Mississippi, the site of this kill. The area is rife with dead zones -- stretches where sudden oxygen depletion can cause widespread death. But those kills tend to be limited to a single species of fish, rather than the broad sort of die-off involved in this kill.

And therein lies the concern of Gulf residents, who suspect this may be yet another side effect of the catastrophic BP oil spill.

Source: news.yahoo.com

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