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Suzanne Goldenberg for the Guardian UK writes: "Scientists are confronting growing evidence that BP's ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico is creating oxygen-depleted 'dead zones' where fish and other marine life cannot survive."

Poggy, or menhaden, fish lie dead and stuck in oil from the BP spill. Fish are fleeing the area of the Deepwater Horizon spill, biologists say. (photo: Sean Gardner/Reuters)

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+6 # Guest 2010-07-01 04:21

The Gulf already has a dead zone, thanks to corporations dumping sludge and chemicals into those waters, not to mention the herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers flowing down the country's alimentary canal - the Mississippi. There is no excuse for creating another. The Gulf is pretty much doomed due to the indifference and incompetence of both corporations and the government that turns a blind eye to the environment.

0 # Guest 2010-07-01 06:12

Methane (dissolved) is sometimes naturally abundant in ground waters. In aerated waters, methane stimulates the growth of bacteria (methanogens) which then contribute to the depletion of oxygen in closed systems, such as water distribution systems (See articles on methane in Illinois drinking water supplies at http://www.h2oc.com/h2oc-library/libraryindex.html.)

Also, if memory serves, anoxia is not depletion, but the absence of oxygen.

-2 # Guest 2010-07-01 08:20

Why is BP being allowed to handle to crisis when they weren't even prepared with proper safety precautions for the well. Why would the Obama admin. think they'd be competent in cleaning up the gusher? This is negligence by the Obama admin. The US has already turned away int'l help. We need science not corporate coverup.

0 # Guest 2010-07-01 08:26

Why is BP only allowed involvement in the cleanup? This is an int'l incident. Why has the Obama admin. turned away offers of help by the int'l community? BP isn't even competent or prepared for drilling emergencies. This is criminal negligence by the US on a world wide scale.

-2 # Guest 2010-07-01 14:16

Right you are, Sharon. From ignoring warnings from Cuba before the Galveston hurricane to rejecting efforts to improve the lay of the land in New Orleans, the U.S. government and its agencies have eschewed pretty much every offer of information and assistance, in favor of corruption, destruction, and death. When not rejecting same, the government misrepresents or skews the information. One more reason to reject the government!

+2 # Guest 2010-07-01 12:35

"It could also jeopardise the Gulf's billion-dollar fishing and shrimping industry." Oh, yes, but how dare Obama call for a moratorium on new deep-water drilling! "Drill, Baby, Drill!"

0 # Guest 2010-07-01 20:18

As I read about efforts to ramp up the capability to gather up the oil in the gulf, I get the feeling that the future will hold much greater capability to respond to petroleum disasters. There are several news items about bigger and better equipment getting prepared for this battle. I'm hopeful.

Hopefully, too, the future will witness greater effort at PREVENTION, which IS a government responsibility.

The cost of prevention, preparedness, and remediation should be reflected in the price of the product and NOT in government budgets.

0 # Guest 2010-07-02 06:51

I think one reason Obama wants BP to handle the cleanup is that if the government did it, it would cost us a lot of money. As Soularddave said, the cost should be reflected in the price of oil, not government budgets.

However, even though it's been proven over and over that private corporations can't do as good a job as the government (which is way more efficient and effective, mainly because it doesn't need to make a profit), Obama seems to be caught up in the myth that the opposite is true. He is still hiring firms like Blackwater, who do a worse job while costing taxpayers up to several times more than the military. So maybe he really thinks BP can do a better cleanup job than the government could.

Hopefully he'll learn from mistakes like this. But I'm not too hopeful. He's still compromising with Republicans, even though they still not giving anything back in return. Will he ever learn?

0 # Guest 2010-07-06 16:02

BP oil is typical of all big oil corporations. Their philosophy can be summed up in two words: F*CK YOU!

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