Coral Near BP Well 2,000 Years Old
Coral Near BP Well 2,000 Years Old
Scientists announced on Wednesday they have dated coral living near the site of the damaged BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico at about 2,000 years old. The US Geological Survey said it had been studying the ancient, slow-growing black coral in the Gulf before BP's well exploded on April 20th, 2010. The corals are located some 21 miles to the northeast of the well, 1,000 feet below sea level.
Black coral feeds on organic matter that sinks to the sea floor, and scientists say it could take decades or even centuries for the environment to recover from the disturbance to the ecosystem caused by the disaster. The report indicated that the USGS is examining whether the oil spill caused harm to the reefs, but that the assessment has not yet been completed.
The location of the ancient black corals is significant because computer models and physical investigations have mapped most of the spilled oil moving southwest from the well, in the opposite direction from the coral. Scientists have discovered dead coral in that direction. The oil slick stemming from the breach, however, was reported to have been above the coral colony during the spill, when more than 200,000 gallons were released into the ocean after BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded.
Black corals, which look like bushes or trees at the bottom of the sea, are found throughout the world and are a vital marine habitat for various forms of ocean life. They grow at an amazingly slow rate some 200 times slower than human fingernails. The vast majority of the ocean floor in the Gulf is muddy, making the coral colonies vital oases for marine life that live near the sea floor.
Scientists announced on Wednesday they have dated coral living near the site of the damaged BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico at about 2,000 years old. The US Geological Survey said it had been studying the ancient, slow-growing black coral in the Gulf before BP's well exploded on April 20th, 2010. The corals are located some 21 miles to the northeast of the well, 1,000 feet below sea level.
Black coral feeds on organic matter that sinks to the sea floor, and scientists say it could take decades or even centuries for the environment to recover from the disturbance to the ecosystem caused by the disaster. The report indicated that the USGS is examining whether the oil spill caused harm to the reefs, but that the assessment has not yet been completed.
The location of the ancient black corals is significant because computer models and physical investigations have mapped most of the spilled oil moving southwest from the well, in the opposite direction from the coral. Scientists have discovered dead coral in that direction. The oil slick stemming from the breach, however, was reported to have been above the coral colony during the spill, when more than 200,000 gallons were released into the ocean after BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded.
Black corals, which look like bushes or trees at the bottom of the sea, are found throughout the world and are a vital marine habitat for various forms of ocean life. They grow at an amazingly slow rate some 200 times slower than human fingernails. The vast majority of the ocean floor in the Gulf is muddy, making the coral colonies vital oases for marine life that live near the sea floor.
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