There have been some stories recently that really confirm some of our worst fears about the aftermath of Deepwater Horizon -- about what kind of havoc would be wreaked upon the beautiful and fragile eco-systems of the Gulf of Mexico by this black tide of nearly 5 million barrels of oil let loose by BP's recklessness. By now, we've all seen the pictures and read some of the gut-wrenching articles about dead and dying dolphins, oiled endangered sea turtles and now eyeless shrimp, deformed crabs and diseased fish. But what about the marine life that would don't see -- the microbiology that comprises the bottom of the food chain in the Gulf -- and sustains the glorious sea creatures who love there? More than 26 months after oil began spewing from the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf, scientists are coming back with reports about the long-lasting impact of the massive spill on fungi and other microbes. And the news is terrible. This was reported recently in the New York Times:
A significant amount of the 4.9 million barrels of oil spilled still lies on the ocean floor, lingers in salt marshes, or is mixed into beach sand, scientists say. ...