GULF OIL SPILL: REACTIONS AND THREATS!

GULF OIL SPILL: REACTIONS AND THREATS
Consequences may be Gulf-wide and extend into the South Atlantic

By: Terry Gibson
http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/gulf-oil-spill-reactions-and-threats-consequences-may-be-gulf-wide-and-extend-into-the-south-atlan_43091/

As public awareness grows regarding a major oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon rig well on a lease owned by British Petroleum (BP), the thousands of people that participated in the Hands Across the Sand (visit www.handsacrossthesand.com) movement are stewing in black irony -- oil-black irony.

"Hands" founder Dave' Rauschkolb's concerns about a potentially catastrophic spill are proving prescient, as oil threatens Gulf and Atlantic beaches and many other ecosystems vital to surfing, recreational fishing, the seafood industry, and tourism in general.

"We feel for the families of the eleven workers killed in the blast," said Rauschkolb, a veteran waterman and restaurant owner from Seaside, Florida. "And it is a shame it is going to take a spill of this magnitude to hopefully open our leaders' minds to the risks oil drilling presents to our coastal communities and fragile environment."


During this spring's Florida legislative session, "Hands", along with an array of environmental groups, succeeded in convincing the Florida legislature not to lift a ban on drilling within 234 miles off Tampa, at least this year. But it's now clear that spills occurring far beyond the line of prohibition can have disastrous impacts. Meanwhile, new reports based on whistle-blower testimony suggest that many other Gulf rigs pose significant threats. The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee has demanded that BP produce "a copy of [these] inspection reports, as well as any reports of other inspections at the Deepwater Horizon rig, including all inspections of the blowout preventer."

Speaking from Louisiana, President Obama stated that, "'Let me be clear, BP is responsible for this leak. BP will be paying the bill." One estimate of damages is high as $14 billion, given a worst-case environmental scenario.

Coming to a Beach Near You

As of this writing, Monday morning, May 3rd, EST, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that the 5,000-foot-deep well is spilling 200,000 gallons or 5,000 barrels per day, and that the spill now covers at least 900 kms. Oil is expected to wash ashore today in what ecologists call the "fertile crescent" -- the coastal marshes of the North Central Gulf that are the primary producers of marine life in the water body. Dead animals have been reported already washing ashore. NOAA has closed waters from the mouth of the Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle to fishing for ten days.

Experts say that the geographic range and extent of physical damage will be directly related to how quickly engineers working for BP can cap the well or drill a "relief well," which would siphon off the oil from another hole. Estimates range from a few days to three months. No coastal area in the Gulf or South Atlantic is safe, and virtually every known significant ecosystem could be impacted.

Surfline forecaster Mike Watson explained that the winds that are currently pushing spill towards shores of the northern Gulf will subside as a cold front passes through. These winds -- up to 40mph out of the southwest -- have limited the abilities of responders to contain the oil with booms. But, they have kept it out of the loop current, which feeds into the Florida current, which feeds into the Gulf Stream. The implication is that through this complex nexus of currents, the entire northern Gulf, the Gulf Coast of Florida, and coastal areas as far north as Cape Hatteras are likely to be affected. The western Gulf is also threatened as summertime winds change prevailing currents into an east-west pattern. A Coriolis affect related to the Mississippi River's influence might also hasten its spread to western Louisiana and Texas coastal features.
 
Worries Bigger than Tar on Wax


Scientists are concerned that the spill could push over-fished species to the brink, and already beleaguered ecosystems past "tipping points." For instance, right now, the imperiled bluefin tuna is spawning in the loop current. Their larvae remain at or near the surface, and contact with oil is fatal to most larvae. (For more info, visit http://www.pewenvironment.org/gulftuna.)

"Because of the way that relatively immobile things wind up together in these currents, pelagic larvae and oil may well wind up together," said Dr. Larry Crowder, an ecologist at Duke University.

The implications for estuarine habitats such as mangroves and tropical coral reefs are similarly dire. In 1989, renowned Paleo-ecologist Dr. Jeremy Jackson studied the impacts of a spill in Panama, in an area where significant baseline data had already been collected.

Bob Glazer, Executive Director of the 64-year-old Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute (gcfi.org), interpreted the paper for concerned coastal stakeholders here.

"This most definitive research showed that after a bad spill, transplanted mangroves did not take and seagrass beds died on oiled reef flats. And stony corals in less than three meters had from 45-percent to a 96-percent loss of coral, while un-oiled reefs had essentially no loss in coral cover. Whole strips of mangroves perished. Obviously, here in the Keys, we, like everyone else along the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico, are hoping that the oil from Deepwater Horizon blowout doesn't reach our shores."

The 1989 Panama spill, and other examples, support concerns that the spill could push beleaguered Gulf ecosystems, such as the north-central marshes and coral reefs in the tropical zone, which are already some of the most rapidly disappearing coastal ecosystems in the world, past a "tipping point."

"It is difficult to say in the early stages of this unfolding situation," says leading snapper researcher Dr. Jim Cowan, from Louisiana State. "But there are few directions in which the spill can move that will fail to produce some impacts on fisheries production, especially if the problem becomes chronic--i.e., the flow of oil is not stopped quickly."

Oil Politics & a New National Ocean Policy

In March, President Obama launched an aggressive plan to lift a decades-long moratorium on offshore oil drilling along the East Coast from Delaware to Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. Most pundits interpreted this announcement as horse-trading with the oil industry in exchange for support for climate change legislation, one of the administration's top priorities. Another priority is the establishment of a National Ocean Policy framework -- and many surfers, anglers, divers and others who depend on coastal and marine resources hope the President puts this framework into place soon through an executive order. The administration has signaled that it will.

This process began about a decade ago with the advent of the Pew Oceans Commission, and it's subsequent report stating, in essence, that America's coasts oceans are in serious trouble. The George H.W. Bush administration established the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy (USCOP), which returned with similar findings. In June of 2009, President Obama sent a letter to Council of Environmental Quality asking the heads of federal agencies associated with coastal and ocean management to make recommendations for a national policy that "ensures protection, maintenance, and restoration of oceans, our coasts and the Great Lakes." It will also recommend a framework for improved stewardship, and effective coastal and marine spatial planning. (For more info, visit www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans).

While it's unreasonable to think that these policies will halt all drilling, which may not be in the best interests of the nation, the President said he will ban new drilling for the time being, and has also ordered environmental agency officials to inspect all offshore oil rigs and platforms to make sure they adhere to US safety codes. If there's a bright side to this black tragedy, it's that the administration and congress will likely be much more motivated to recognize through policy that natural coastal and marine resources are the core economic assets of coastal communities, and prioritize conservation and the preservation of sustainable uses of these resources.

On April 16 and 17, prior to the spill, NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenko and Associate Administrator Eric Schwaab spoke to more than 70 leaders in the recreational fishing community at the recreational fishing summit promised by Lubchenko early in her tenure as NOAA Administrator. Both officials, along with an official from the Council of Environmental Quality, stated in essence that, "environment vs. economy is a false dichotomy." If the spill continues unchecked, and if the President holds BP to paying for the damage, the company, along with the millions of people dependent on ocean and coastal resources will painfully and profoundly realize how dangerously false a dichotomy it is.

By: Terry Gibson is a long-time surf journalist, environmental writer and professional advocate for leading conservation groups.
http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/gulf-oil-spill-reactions-and-threats-consequences-may-be-gulf-wide-and-extend-into-the-south-atlan_43091/