Hurricanes and the oil spill

It’s getting to be hurricane season, and the oil continues to gush from the gulf floor. My first thought is “Holy shit, it’s gonna be raining oil over several states! Catastrophe!” But the more I think about it, perhaps that kind of dispersion is exactly what’s needed. The oil would be spread over a huge area, which can absorb it more easily than the fragile coastline.

Should residents of the gulf coast welcome a hurricane or fear one?

Is there a factual answer to this, or does it depend on too many variables?

LOTS of variables, because an oil spill of this magnitude hasn’t happened before in this particular ecosystem, which is a breeding ground for fish that would eventually find their way out into the greater world of oceans.

A decent rundown is on this Science News site.

Points of note:

I think what people should understand about the Gulf Coast ecosystem in contrast to the more sharply defined rocky Pacific ecosystems that have had oil spills: our Gulf Coast is like a huge marshy sponge that absorbs not only everything that comes downstream by our biggest river, The Mississippi, but also whatever comes in from the south, via normal currents and hurricanes. This, ideally, without pollution, creates an ideal situation for marine life to breed and thrive. It’s been a tremendous, bounteous , creative area for Nature to give life to, in warm waters that give a great boost to diversity. That’s why this is aiming to be more of a trajedy than any oil spill to date. I have a glimmer of hope it might be solved soon. I can’t even think of the right words to say if not.