Source: Reuters
A giant oil slick from last week's deadly offshore drilling rig explosion in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico threatens wide-scale coastal damage for four states.
The northern Gulf of Mexico is a crucial spawning ground at this time of the year for the Atlantic population of Bluefin tuna, which is critically endangered. Their eggs float near the surface and the larvae also stay near there after they first hatch. So, the spill has occurred at a critical time in their life-cycle.
“We expect a spill like this could dramatically decrease the amount of bluefin tuna larvae that are surviving,†said John Hocevar, the Oceans Campaign director for Greenpeace USA. - Losses could also be inflicted on the shrimp and oyster industries in Louisiana. Oysters are filter feeders and cannot swim to escape the slick. The prime oyster-gathering season in
Louisiana starts on May 1.