Massive Gulf Coast Oil Spill

[SeductiveNun]

Love the Mystery Science Theater 3000 photo on the bottom.

I thought that was pretty good too.

 

I started sending it to some of my co-workers (including one who is down working at the gulf right now) but I gotta be careful who I send it to, it could come back and bite me in the ass later.

[bpwallace49]

Mighty oil-eating microbes help clean up the Gulf

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EmailPrint.. AFP/File – People on Panama City beach search for tar balls that might be caused by the oil leak in the Gulf of … .Wed Jul 28, 4:41 pm ET

By JOHN CAREY, environmental writer

 

Where is all the oil? Nearly two weeks after BP finally capped the biggest oil spill in U.S. history, the oil slicks that once spread across thousands of miles of the Gulf of Mexico have largely disappeared. Nor has much oil washed up on the sandy beaches and marshes along the Louisiana coast. And the small cleanup army in the Gulf has only managed to skim up a tiny fraction of the millions of gallons of oil spilled in the 100 days since the Deepwater Horizon rig went up in flames.

 

So where did the oil go? "Some of the oil evaporates," explains Edward Bouwer, professor of environmental engineering at Johns Hopkins University. That’s especially true for the more toxic components of oil, which tend to be very volatile, he says. Jeffrey W. Short, a scientist with the environmental group Oceana, told the New York Times that as much as 40 percent of the oil might have evaporated when it reached the surface. High winds from two recent storms may have speeded the evaporation process.

 

Although there were more than 4,000 boats involved in the skimming operations, those cleanup crews may have only picked up a small percentage of the oil so far. That’s not unusual; in previous oil spills, crews could only scoop up a small amount of oil. "It’s very unusual to get more than 1 or 2 percent," says Cornell University ecologist Richard Howarth, who worked on the Exxon Valdez spill. Skimming operations will continue in the Gulf for several weeks.

 

Some of the oil has sunk into the sediments on the ocean floor. Researchers say that’s where the spill could do the most damage. But according to a report in Wednesday’s New York Times, "federal scientists [have determined] the oil [is] primarily sitting in the water column and not on the sea floor."

 

Perhaps the most important cause of the oil’s disappearance, some researchers suspect, is that the oil has been devoured by microbes. The lesson from past spills is that the lion’s share of the cleanup work is done by nature in the form of oil-eating bacteria and fungi. The microbes break down the hydrocarbons in oil to use as fuel to grow and reproduce. A bit of oil in the water is like a feeding frenzy, causing microbial populations to grow exponentially.

 

Typically, there are enough microbes in the ocean to consume half of any oil spilled in a month or two, says Howarth. Such microbes have been found in every ocean of the world sampled, from the Arctic to Antarctica. But there are reasons to think that the process may occur more quickly in the Gulf than in other oceans.

 

Microbes grow faster in the warmer water of the Gulf than they do in, say, the cool waters off Alaska, where the Exxon Valdez spill occurred. Moreover, the Gulf is hardly pristine. Even before humans started drilling for oil in the Gulf — and spilling lots of it — oil naturally seeped into the water. As a result, the Gulf evolved a rich collection of petroleum-loving microbes, ready to pounce on any new spill. The microbes are clever and tough, observes Samantha Joye, microbial geochemist at the University of Georgia. Joye has shown that oxygen levels in parts of the Gulf contaminated with oil have dropped. Since microbes need oxygen to eat the petroleum, that’s evidence that the microbes are hard at work.

 

The controversial dispersant used to break up the oil as it gushed from the deep-sea well may have helped the microbes do their work. Microbes can more easily consume small drops of oil than big ones. And there is evidence the microbes like to munch on the dispersant as well.

 

It is still far too early to know how much damage the spill has done — and may still be doing — to the environment. Tar balls continue to wash up on beaches. And the risk of a leak remains, until the well is permanently capped sometime in the next few weeks

 

Some good news for a change???

 

Considering all the hoopla over the magical A-Whale and other skimmers, considering they could only pick up 1-2 % total seems pretty small seems silly now.

 

Thank God for the microbes that are eating the crap up!!!

[cre8tiff]

Some good news for a change???

 

Considering all the hoopla over the magical A-Whale and other skimmers, considering they could only pick up 1-2 % total seems pretty small seems silly now.

 

Thank God for the microbes that are eating the crap up!!!

 

After they run out of oil, what will they eat THEN?!?!?!

[bushwacked]

The controversial dispersant used to break up the oil as it gushed from the deep-sea well may have helped the microbes do their work. Microbes can more easily consume small drops of oil than big ones. And there is evidence the microbes like to munch on the dispersant as well.

 

So, the dispersants appear to be effective, which isn't surprising to anyone in the environmental field whose worked with them and pure phase light non-aqueous phase liquids (plus in this instance its being combined with a voluminous amount of water for accelerated dispersion and diffusion). Granted, the dispersant is not without it's toxicity downfalls either, but some of the scare tactic stories being reported were pretty fantastical and inaccurate.

 

And many of the people who were complaining about not waiving the Jones Act (which was a Fox News propagated "story" which isn't even applicable to utilizing the skimmers) and up in arms about making the A-Whale (which didn't work) go through a test run; where also complaining about the use of the dispersant.

 

Ahhh, politics, ain't it grand?

[wiegie]

Can you gulf-staters fed-ex a few of them microbes up to Michigan--the EPA reported yesterday that the oil leak in the Kalamazoo River is more than 1,000,000 gallons.

[dmarc117]

Can you gulf-staters fed-ex a few of them microbes up to Michigan--the EPA reported yesterday that the oil leak in the Kalamazoo River is more than 1,000,000 gallons.

 

 

and moving towards lake michigan, water source for the midwest and canada.

[SEC=UGA]

and moving towards lake michigan, water source for the midwest and canada.

 

If ANY oil gets on my boat I'm gonna go postal on those freakin Canadians....

[bpwallace49]

Can you gulf-staters fed-ex a few of them microbes up to Michigan--the EPA reported yesterday that the oil leak in the Kalamazoo River is more than 1,000,000 gallons.

 

What did Obama do now to cause THIS new disaster?

[SEC=UGA]

What did Obama do now to cause THIS new disaster?

 

He wasn't regulating Canadian companies because they have such a stellar environmental record...

[gbpfan1231]

So, the dispersants appear to be effective, which isn't surprising to anyone in the environmental field whose worked with them and pure phase light non-aqueous phase liquids (plus in this instance its being combined with a voluminous amount of water for accelerated dispersion and diffusion). Granted, the dispersant is not without it's toxicity downfalls either, but some of the scare tactic stories being reported were pretty fantastical and inaccurate.

 

And many of the people who were complaining about not waiving the Jones Act (which was a Fox News propagated "story" which isn't even applicable to utilizing the skimmers) and up in arms about making the A-Whale (which didn't work) go through a test run; where also complaining about the use of the dispersant.

 

Ahhh, politics, ain't it grand?

I am willing to bet money you cut and pasted the first paragraph above. I have read your posts and no way are you that smart to write that.

 

Now the bolded part seems much more believable.

[Pope Flick]

I am willing to bet money you cut and pasted the first paragraph above. I have read your posts and no way are you that smart to write that.

 

Now the bolded part seems much more believable.

 

 

 

I'll take that bet. What do you want to lose?

[Yukon Cornelius]

I'll take that bet. What do you want to lose?

dont hold your breath she is a packer fan... has nutting

[gbpfan1231]

dont hold your breath she is a packer fan... has nutting

Is that a porn term???

[peepinmofo]

So, the dispersants appear to be effective, which isn't surprising to anyone in the environmental field whose worked with them and pure phase light non-aqueous phase liquids (plus in this instance its being combined with a voluminous amount of water for accelerated dispersion and diffusion). Granted, the dispersant is not without it's toxicity downfalls either, but some of the scare tactic stories being reported were pretty fantastical and inaccurate.

 

And many of the people who were complaining about not waiving the Jones Act (which was a Fox News propagated "story" which isn't even applicable to utilizing the skimmers) and up in arms about making the A-Whale (which didn't work) go through a test run; where also complaining about the use of the dispersant.

 

Ahhh, politics, ain't it grand?

 

So you really, TRUELY believe that the oil just "got eaten up by microbes"? I dont buy it. Is that what happened to SOME of it? Probably. But to think the hundreds of millions of gallons of oil just got gobbled up by microbes is crazy.

 

We are 100+ days into the whole disaster, and you think this is over with because its being reported (by the main stream media mind you) the oil "just disappeared"? What about all the big plumes that were under water? Just because you cant see it doesnt mean it isnt there.

 

Tell ya what. I dont want to start going back n forth again, so Ill leave it with this: I really hope microbes ate all the stuff up. I really hope the end is somewhat near. I hope the impact of this is on a much smaller scale than I thought it would be. However, until at least a year has passed, and more info is known on this, I will hold off on believing the BS that has been spewed by the MSM and BP.

[TimC]

I really hope the end is somewhat near.

 

It is. For all of us.

[bushwacked]

But to think the hundreds of millions of gallons of oil just got gobbled up by microbes is crazy.

 

Ummmmm, how in the hell did you come to the conclusion this was what I think?

[peepinmofo]

It is. For all of us.

2012 baby!!!

[bushwacked]

 

So you really, TRUELY believe that the oil just "got eaten up by microbes"? I dont buy it. Is that what happened to SOME of it? Probably. But to think the hundreds of millions of gallons of oil just got gobbled up by microbes is crazy.

 

We are 100+ days into the whole disaster, and you think this is over with because its being reported (by the main stream media mind you) the oil "just disappeared"? What about all the big plumes that were under water? Just because you cant see it doesnt mean it isnt there.

 

Whatever the hell you are blabbering about isn't anything remotely close to what I stated or what I think.

[peepinmofo]

Ummmmm, how in the hell did you come to the conclusion this was what I think?

 

I could have sworn you were referring to the latest news about the microbes eating the oil and dispersants. I'll find the article read...

 

Sorry for ASSuming, but with you its easy to ASSume.

[peepinmofo]

Whatever the hell you are blabbering about isn't anything remotely close to what I stated or what I think.

This is what I ASSumed you were talking about:

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews_excl/2010072...ews_excl_sc3270

 

 

Now, since I "dont know what you think", why dont you enlighten us? I would love to know an experts opinion on the matter. TIA

[bushwacked]

Now, since I "dont know what you think", why dont you enlighten us?

 

Meh, I already stated that.

 

Methinks you are just trying to argue with me for no other purpose than arguing. Which is odd because you suck at it.

[peepinmofo]

Meh, I already stated that.

 

Methinks you are just trying to argue with me for no other purpose than arguing. Which is odd because you suck at it.

 

Pretty sure YOU are the one that sucks. I am done wasting my time (and everyone elses) with you.

[Azazello1313]

And many of the people who were complaining about not waiving the Jones Act (which was a Fox News propagated "story" which isn't even applicable to utilizing the skimmers) and up in arms about making the A-Whale (which didn't work) go through a test run; where also complaining about the use of the dispersant.

 

like who? avernus and ratsass?

 

if anything slowed or hindered the use of dispersants, it was government red tape. BP ordered to dramatically scale back use of dispersants. but yay obama for saving us!

[bushwacked]

like who? avernus and ratsass?

 

 

And peep. Are you trying to claim their outcries don't cause real pressure on agencies or BP to scale the use of stuff? You guys playing political patty-cake and pretending to be experts by posting propoganda doesn't do anyone any favors.

Edited July 30, 2010 by bushwacked

[Azazello1313]

And peep. Are you trying to claim their outcries don't cause real pressure on agencies or BP to scale the use of stuff? You guys playing political patty-cake and pretending to be experts by posting propoganda doesn't do anyone any favors.

 

wow, the logical leaps here are fairly bold. three conspiracy kooks on the huddle "cause real pressure on agencies or BP to scale the use of stuff"? and somehow I'm responsible too. wow, that is an airtight case! I am shamed