Life on the Sea Floor

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Two types of communities exist on the deep sea floor of the Gulf of Mexico and are threatened by the oil. Where hydrocarbons seep out of the sediment, clams, mussels, and polychaete tubeworms live with symbiotic bacteria that tap sulfide or methane for energy. Elsewhere, corals capture prey that floats by or detritus that sinks from above.

Life on the Sea Floor: Updates

Gulf Oil Spill
6 July 2010 | ScienceInsider

Science's Richard A. Kerr on the Challenge of Drilling a Relief Well

by Eli Kintisch
On Friday Science's Richard Kerr published a story in Science on the challenge of drilling a relief well; BP is currently drilling two to hopefully stop the gulf gusher....
Gulf Oil Spill
23 June 2010 | ScienceInsider

Gulf Cruise Raises Questions on Methane, But Much Data Still to Analyze

by Lauren Schenkman
Preliminary results from a research cruise measuring methane in deep water near the gushing BP well point to large concentrations of the gas, but what that means for the...
Gulf Oil Spill
11 June 2010 | ScienceInsider

What the Gulf Disaster Could Tell Us About Sudden Global Warming

by Lauren Schenkman
Could the gushing BP well help explain an ancient climate mystery? Today, a crew of scientists are setting off for roughly 10 days to take measurements near the gushing...
si-batfish-th.jpg
4 June 2010 | ScienceInsider

Not Just Pelicans in Peril, But Pancake Batfish, Too

by Lauren Schenkman
As far as oil spill poster animals go, the pancake batfish seems unlikely to capture any hearts. "They're really weird," says Prosanta Chakrabarty, an ichthyologist at Louisiana State University...
Gulf Oil Spill
2 June 2010 | ScienceInsider

For Life Around Deepwater Horizon, Deep Is Relative

by Erik Stokstad
One of the largest remaining unknowns about the impact of the oil is what it will do to corals and other life at the bottom of the Gulf of...
Gulf Oil Spill
20 May 2010 | ScienceInsider

What's Happening to Life on the Sea Floor?

by Richard A. Kerr , Eli Kintisch, Lauren Schenkman, and Erik Stokstad
Two types of communities exist on the deep sea floor of the gulf. Where hydrocarbons seep out of the sediment, clams and mussels live with symbiotic bacteria that tap...
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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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