An in-depth report by the Associated Press examines the health of the Gulf of Mexico, as the BP oil spill is finally halted.
The news agency surveyed 75 scientists, who are largely in agreement that the Gulf is an incredibly "resilent" body of water that is now under severe stress.
The warm waters of the Gulf are a good habitat for microbes that eat oil. In fact, the National Research Council estimates that 41 million gallons of oil naturally seep into the Gulf each year to be disposed of by these microscopic creatures.
But, of course, an additional 170 million gallons is likely to overload that system, and 600 miles of coastline have already been fouled with oil.
However, the story offers some hope that the Gulf may bounce back sooner than expected. Read it at the link below.
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