Gulf of Mexico's Recovery Still Bears Watching Enterprise
go to original September 24, 2012

Two years after the massive BP oil spill that virtually shut down the Gulf of Mexico, scientists are still analyzing its long-term impact.

On the one hand, final catch totals for some species of fish last year were higher than pre-spill levels. The menhaden catch was even 66 percent above the 2010 total.

On the other hand, a new collection of tar balls that washed up on Alabama beaches have been identified as coming from the BP spill. Researchers also found that certain chemicals in the tar have barely broken down since June 2010.

Clearly, it's still too early for anyone to proclaim that the Gulf is healed.

After the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska in 1989, herring populations looked normal for years. But by 1993 there were only a fourth as many spawning adults as there had been before the spill.

The only prudent course is to keep studying the Gulf - and hold BP liable for any lingering damages.

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