Coastal Ecosystems

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Coastal wetlands in the Gulf of Mexico have been under siege for decades. Chronic exposure to large amounts of oil could worsen their plight, killing marsh grasses and the creatures that live in the coastal sediment.

Coastal Ecosystems: Updates

Gulf Oil Spill
17 December 2010 | ScienceInsider

Politics Buried Science in Louisiana Sand Berms, Oil Commission Finds

by Erik Stokstad
The idea to guard against this year's BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by building offshore sand berms was controversial from the start, and scientists voiced many...
16 November 2010 | ScienceNOW

Listening for Oil Spills

by Kim Krieger
Sonar allows researchers to track oil, gas leaking into Gulf of Mexico
Gulf Oil Spill
5 October 2010 | ScienceInsider

Gulf Coast Restoration Task Force Gets Under Way

by Erik Stokstad
Spurred by the oil spill's impact on the ecosystem, the White House is forming a task force to come up with a strategy to restore the entire damaged gulf...
Gulf Oil Spill
21 July 2010 | ScienceInsider

Scientists to Thad Allen: Stop 'Massive Re-Engineering' of Gulf Coast

by Erik Stokstad
More than two dozen coastal scientists are asking Thad Allen, who heads the federal oil spill response, to halt coastal engineering projects that are intended to prevent damage from the...
Gulf Oil Spill
8 July 2010 | ScienceInsider

Desperate Measures for Oil Spill Draw More Criticism

by Erik Stokstad
With the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico already wrecking tourism and closing down much of the fishing, Louisiana and other states have been trying hard to protect...
Gulf Oil Spill
23 June 2010 | ScienceInsider

Feds Halt Some Louisiana Dredging, Saying It Puts Islands at Risk

by Erik Stokstad
U.S. officials and the state of Louisiana continue to battle over whether the state's attempt to build sand berms that will protect wetlands from oil could damage sensitive barrier...
Gulf Oil Spill
10 June 2010 | ScienceInsider

Would More Water in the Mississippi Keep Oil From the Wetlands?

by Erik Stokstad
One of the unsung heroes in the fight to save Louisiana's wetlands from the oil spill is the Mississippi River. The flow of fresh water into the Gulf of...
4 June 2010 | ScienceInsider

Emergency Oil Spill Response—How Sketchy Is It?

by Erik Stokstad
It could be one of the sloppiest engineering plans the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has ever seen—a hand-drawn plan illustrating how engineers would fill in a channel...
si-oilcopter-th.jpg
3 June 2010 | ScienceInsider

Sand Berm Funding Grows, But No Cash Yet

by Erik Stokstad
UPDATE: BP has announced that it will fund the six approved sections of the sand berm project, estimated to cost $360 million. The company says it will make payments based...
Gulf Oil Spill
28 May 2010 | ScienceInsider

Sand Berm Approved to Fight Oil; Scientists Skeptical

by Erik Stokstad
The state of Louisiana is poised to begin a large experiment in blocking oil from reaching its fragile wetlands. On 27 May, the Army Corps of Engineers granted an...
noaa maps combined 2.jpg
20 May 2010 | ScienceInsider

Oil Reaches Louisiana Marshes in Earnest

by Erik Stokstad with reporting by Lauren Schenkman
After several days of trickles and tarballs, serious oil slicks have arrived on the Louisiana coast. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has 22 biologists in the...
Gulf Oil Spill
20 May 2010 | ScienceInsider

What is Happening to Coastal Ecosystems?

by Richard A. Kerr , Eli Kintisch, Lauren Schenkman, and Erik Stokstad
Coastal wetlands in the Gulf of Mexico have been under siege for decades. Chronic exposure to large amounts of oil could worsen their plight, killing marsh grasses and the creatures...
Gulf Oil Spill
6 May 2010 | ScienceInsider

Four Ways the Gulf Oil Disaster Was Really Bad Timing

by Eli Kintisch
Breeding Season: Invertebrates, sea turtles, and birds will be facing the brunt of the spill just as they are laying eggs or caring for them in important wildlife areas....
Gulf Oil Spill
30 April 2010 | ScienceInsider

Researchers Checking Field Sites Threatened by Oil Spill

by Erik Stokstad
Scientists are mobilizing to study the impacts of the oil spill from BP’s Deepwater Horizon platform that is now reaching the coast of Louisiana. Teams from Louisiana State University...
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The Fate of the Oil

Life on the Sea Floor

Marine Life

Coastal Ecosystems

Fisheries and Food

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