Oh NO! Oil Spill

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was caused when an oil rig exploded on April 20th, killing 11 people. Here, boats spray water on the flaming structure in an effort to put out the fire. The rig eventually collapsed, sinking into the ocean. Oil flowed into the ocean after the rig was destroyed. At least 210, 000 gallons of oil have been gushing into Gulf waters, each day since the rig collapsed. In just over a week, winds and ocean currents moved the oil slick toward land. As time passes, more oil will wash up on the shores of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and eventually, Florida. These are brown pelicans that make their homes on small islands off the coast of Louisiana. The brown pelican is just one of more than 400 species of wildlife that are threatened by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil can be poisonous to animals if they swallow it. Here a worker gives medicine to an oil soaked northern gannet bird to help it recover from an upset stomach that was caused by swallowing oil. If a bird gets soaked in oil, that is dangerous too. Workers have laid thousands of feet of oil booms along the coast. Oil booms are floating barriers that can corral and contain oil on the surface of the water. Once contained, the oil can be skimmed by boats. Fishing, a major industry in the Gulf Coast region, has been banned in the oil polluted waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Thousands of fishing crews are out of work. Instead of collecting fish to sell, many fishers have been laying oil booms trying to protect the coasts where they work and live. Experts say the oil spill could have effects on wildlife, the environment, and the economy for years to come.