The Gulf of Mexico - ecological disaster of the XXI century

For all time of the existence the person repeatedly rendered negative influence on an environment. With the development of modern technologies, environmental disasters have become more widespread. A clear confirmation of this is the Gulf of Mexico. The catastrophe that happened there in the spring of 2010 caused irreparable damage to nature. As a result, water was polluted, which led to the death of a huge number of marine inhabitants and a reduction in their population.

The cause of the disaster was the accident on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, which was due to the lack of professionalism of the workers and the negligence of the owners of the oil and gas company. Due to improper actions, there was an explosion and a fire, which resulted in the death of 13 people who were on the platform and who took part in the elimination of the consequences of the accident. Within 35 hours the fire was extinguished by firefighters, but it was not until five months that the oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico was completely blocked.

According to some experts, about 5 million barrels of fuel fell into the water for 152 days, during which oil was poured from the well. During this time, an area of 75,000 square kilometers was contaminated. The elimination of the consequences of the accident involved American soldiers and volunteers from all over the world who came to the Gulf of Mexico. Oil was collected both manually and by special vessels. Together, we managed to get about 810,000 barrels of fuel from the water.

The most difficult thing was to stop the leakage of oil, the plugs that were installed did not help. Cement was poured into the wells, drilling fluid was pumped in, but it was only on September 19 that the full sealing was achieved, whereas the accident occurred on April 20. The Gulf of Mexico during this period has turned into the most polluted place on the planet. It was found dead about 6 thousand birds, 600 sea turtles, 100 dolphins, many other mammals and fish.

Colossal damage was inflicted on coral reefs, which can not develop in contaminated water. The mortality of the bottlenose dolphin has increased almost 50-fold, and this is far from being the whole consequence of the accident on the oil platform. Fisheries also suffered significant losses, as the Gulf of Mexico was one-third closed to catching. Oil even reached the waters of coastal reserves, which were very important for migratory birds and other animals.

It's been three years since the disaster, the Gulf of Mexico is slowly recovering from the damage. American oceanologists closely monitor the behavior of marine life, as well as coral. The latter began to multiply and grow in their usual rhythm, which indicates the purification of water. But there was also a rise in the temperature of the water in this place, which could negatively affect many marine inhabitants.

Some researchers assumed that the consequences of the disaster would affect the course of the Gulf Stream, which affects the climate. Indeed, the last winters in Europe are particularly frosty, and the water in the current has decreased by 10 degrees. But to prove that the weather anomalies are connected with the oil accident, scientists have not yet succeeded.