Marine Biome within The Gulf of Mexico

HISTORICAL STATE

The Gulf of Mexico is an extremely useful geographical asset. Bordered by the United States, Mexico, and Cuba, the Gulf serves as a common utility for several groups of people. Drilling was introduced on the coasts of the Gulf throughout the 1920s, as fossil fuels were becoming increasingly important. Off-shore drilling, or drilling without land in sight, became more common after the second World War (1). As people began to understand the importance of the minerals present, competition between states over ‘the right to submerged land’ increased. Investments grew and by the 1980s, the United States claimed economic ownership of all submerged land within 200 miles of its coast (2).

In April of 2010, one of British Petroleum’s wellheads broke - yielding the most impactful accidental oil spill in ALL of history. After 88 days of spewing crude oil into Gulf’s waters, the wellhead was finally capped in July of 2010 (3). The BP Oil Spill was an internationally devastating event. It affected our seafood & fishing industries enormously, seeing as the marine wildlife - serving as OUR food - became exposed to seriously dangerous toxins. Furthermore, it affected the tourism industry, seeing as it lessened the visual aesthetics of the Gulf. Essentially, the BP Oil Spill demanded for new and improved federal regulation and although the oil spill was an accident, several BP officials were faced with criminal charges (4).

(Picture: Refer to Citation #4)

The Gulf of Mexico is reportedly “the 5th most diverse area,” in terms of marine wildlife in the entire world. Over 15,000 species have been identified in the Gulf thus far. Several marine species have been dramatically effected by the oil spill, including sea turtles, whales, dolphins, shellfish, and other fish. Beyond JUST marine species, several native birds have ALSO been affected (5). Today, several activists and environmental groups are working to protect these endangered species, restoring the Gulf’s biodiversity. Despite these efforts, humans continue to impact the region in a negative way.

(Picture: Refer to Citation #6)

CURRENT HUMAN IMPACTS

Surprisingly, offshore drilling still occurs throughout the world and within the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, eight more deepwater drills will likely be installed THIS year. These new eight drills will raise the total count of deepwater drills in the Gulf of Mexico to twenty-nine US-owned active drills (6). All of these drills pose severely dangerous threats to the ecological habitat of the Gulf, however the United States’ economy depends on their existence. 

In an attempt to ‘help’ the Gulf of Mexico, scientists released a dispersant chemical called “Corexit” after the oil spill, which was intended to break up plumes of oil posing a threat to marine wildlife. Unfortunately, the first form of “Corexit” used by the scientists had a reverse effect, amplifying the severity of the already-present toxins. A second form of “Corexit” later replaced the original version (3).

The oil plumes have destroyed several coral reefs and killed patches of seagrass. Essentially, the oil 'suffocates' these species, inhibiting them from retrieving sunlight, nutrients, etc. The toxins have also infiltrated the marine life food chain, endangering several species. Air-breathing marine animals, such as the sea turtle and whale, have inhaled the oil's dangerous fumes, consequently suffering from several health defects. Sadly, these are just SOME of the impacts our spill has imposed upon the wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico. 

FUTURE PROSPECTS

Fortunately, huge strides are currently being made in terms of restoring the Gulf of Mexico. British Petroleum’s reputation took a MAJOR hit due to the accident, but today, they remain committed to the restoration efforts currently taking place. BP has dedicated over 1 billion dollars to their restoration project. They are currently working with the federal government to continually reevaluate the impacts of the spill. Furthermore, BP has collaborated with other agencies to closely monitor the status of the marine species affected by oil spill. BP has sponsored several states in creating tourism campaigns, in the hopes of directing traffic to the Gulf and stimulating the economy. Beyond just promoting tourism, BP has also attempted to improve each Gulf state’s ‘sense of community’ by sponsoring new jobs and by fostering an atmosphere of communal optimism (7). The petroleum company’s internal structure has also been altered, creating an entirely new department- dedicated to enhancing the future of the Gulf of Mexico. 

Other groups, such as the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and the Nature Conservancy have helped restore the Gulf. The NWF, for example, continues to fight for reforming the current legislation on offshore drilling. Most significantly, the NWF has committed itself toward recreating the natural habitats of affected wildlife. In essence, the NWF performs ecological restoration by providing safe environments for these species to live in (8). The Nature Conservancy works in a similar fashion, creating artificial environments for endangered wildlife to thrive. 

(Picture: Refer to Citation #9)

In June of 2012, the RESTORE Act was passed, which directs approximately 80% of all funds (collected from the companies fined on behalf of the Clean Water Act) to the states themselves. Therefore, the states directly impacted by the BP Oil Spill (specifically Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, & Florida) have been able to pursue individual restoration efforts (9). With the passing of this legislation, the marine life will be well protected by the states themselves, in addition to the previously mentioned groups.

(Picture: Refer to Citation #12) Graph w/ Data

IMPROVEMENTS

My Personal Take on 'What should be done in the Marine Biomes of the Gulf of Mexico?'

In order to sustain our restoration projects in the Gulf of Mexico, I think that, first and foremost, morale is essential! By avoiding pessimism, we will rid ourselves of a stigma; the stigma where we feel like ‘nothing can be done’ and that ‘individual efforts are useless.’ I think that optimism will draw in more volunteers, and thus more donations. Once we have these volunteers, we will be able to replant MORE ecosystems, impacting MORE marine wildlife. 

Another simple solution (perhaps somewhat unrelated to the spill, but important to marine wildlife nonetheless) involves updating oneself on the impacts of discharge into the ocean. Whether its trash, sewage, or a dangerous toxin... I think its important to know exactly what we’re putting in the ocean. Hence, I think education is important in terms of this topic.

(Picture: Refer to Citation #11) - Graph w/ Data

(Picture: Refer to Citation #11)

Furthermore, I think that our increasing dependence on fossil fuels is extremely dangerous. By gradually reducing our economic reliance on offshore drilling, we will lessen the likelihood of disturbing marine ecosystems. Offshore drilling is only a finite, short-term solution.

Activists are already working vigorously to protect the marine ecosystems and  species within the Gulf of Mexico. While I do believe that these efforts are crucial, I also believe that the root this problem is political. I think that we need to keep pushing congress to pass different bills of environmental legislation - i.e. 1. devoting more money toward the establishment of cleaner 
energy, affordable eco-friendly cars, solar panels, etc. 2. deactivating deepwater offshore oil rigs, stopping offshore drilling all-together 3. further investigating the scientific impacts of chemical dispersants, 4. reassessing the effectiveness of protective regulations placed on petroleum companies, etc.

We already have powerful groups of people at work, restoring the natural ecosystems that ‘once were’ the marine biomes within the Gulf of Mexico. Now, it’s up to US, the next generation, to change the way society understands this traumatic event... thus preventing something from happening AGAIN in the future. 


REFERENCES

1. Burke, Doris. "A Short History of Drilling in the Gulf of Mexico." FORTUNE Features RSS. CNNMoney, Jan. 2011. Web. 04 Dec. 2012.
2. "American Energy = American Jobs." National Ocean Industries Association. N.p., 2006. Web. 04 Dec. 2012.
3. Boopathy, Raj. et al. "Biodegradation of Crude Oil from the BP Oil Spill in the Marsh Sediments of Southeast Louisiana, USA." Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology 167.6 (2012): 1560-568. Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge. Web. 4 Dec. 2012.
4. "Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill 2010." The New York Times: Times Topics. The New York Times, n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2012.
5. Donovan, Travis. "Census Of Marine Life: Gulf Of Mexico Is 5th Most Diverse Area."The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 03 Aug. 2010. Web. 04 Dec. 2012.
6. Gerken, James. "Gulf Oil Drilling To See Busiest Year Since 2010 BP Spill." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 10 Apr. 2012. Web. 04 Dec. 2012.
7. "Gulf of Mexico Restoration." British Petroleum. BP, n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2012.
8. "How NWF Is Helping Wildlife Impacted by the BP Oil Spill." - National Wildlife Federation. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2012.
9. "The Nature Conservancy. Protecting Nature. Preserving Life.â„¢." TNC Applauds Passage of RESTORE Act. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2012.
10. Gulf of Mexico Map. Digital image. World Atlas. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2012.
11. "Do We Lift the Ban on Offshore Drilling?" The Columbus Dispatch. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2012
12. "The Oil Spill's Effects on Wildlife." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Apr. 2010. Web. 04 Dec. 2012.