Published in ERW, 11 Mar 2015
Marine scientists in the US and Oman investigating changes to zooplankton populations before and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill have found that the organisms returned to pre-spill numbers in a matter of months. Although long-term changes have yet to be investigated, the scientists say that there is “cause for optimism” regarding a sustained recovery.
Zooplankton provide a vital link in the marine food chain. If their population falls, or if their relative numbers drastically change, larger marine species will struggle to survive.
The oil spill produced by an explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 posed a big threat to surrounding zooplankton. Laboratory studies have shown that zooplankton suffer increased mortality when exposed to oil and dispersants, and the Deepwater Horizon well released a record-breaking 780,000 cubic metres of oil, according to US government agencies. On the other hand, zooplankton populations are known to fluctuate naturally due to factors such as temperature, salinity and tidal currents. […]
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