Oil Spill Damage to U.S. Coral Revealed
- Submitted by: manso
- International
- 11 / 10 / 2010
U.S. scientists have found extensive damage to deep-sea coral reefs near the site where a British Petroleum oil platform sank in the Gulf of Mexico, CNN reported on Monday.
Experts stated that large portions of soft coral communities and madrepora colonies near the site of the disaster were dead or dying.
Pennsylvania State University biologist and lead researcher Charles Fisher has warned that among the madrepora corals, many were covered by a brown substance, and others had produced large amounts of mucus.
According to CNN, these conditiosn were found more than 10 kilometers southwest of the spill site.
Scientists do not yet know whether the damage to the coral was caused by oil or by the dispersants used to contain the spill.
The accident had its greatest impact on the south central U.S. coastal area, including damage to the fishing industry.
Source: PL
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