BP oil spill killed off beach microbes, damaging entire ecosystem

‘The 2010 BP (Deepwater Horizon) oil spill caused long-lasting damage to the microbial ecosystem of Gulf beaches, suggests a study conducted by researchers from Georgia Tech and published in the ISME Journal on February 17.

The April 2010 spill was the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. It began when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, killing 11 workers and sending 5.0 million barrels (210 million gallons) of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico.

The researchers found that although much of the oil that washed ashore following the spill was broken down by soil bacteria, most species of bacteria were killed by the contamination. This left the overall soil ecosystem – the foundation of the larger ecosystem – much less diverse. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria in particular were hard hit.

The study was partially funded by BP.’

Read more: BP oil spill killed off beach microbes, damaging entire ecosystem 

The post BP oil spill killed off beach microbes, damaging entire ecosystem appeared first on David Icke.