special topic: gulf of mexico oil spill
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Special Topic: Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill. Why The Oil Spill Matters. Cost: cleanup and recovery will cost several billion dollars: $1,000,000,000.00 Impact: marine and wetland ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico are experiencing massive disturbances, and may never recover completely. . - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Special Topic: Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
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Why The Oil Spill Matters
• Cost: cleanup and recovery will cost several billion dollars: $1,000,000,000.00
• Impact: marine and wetland ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico are experiencing massive disturbances, and may never recover completely.
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Hermit Crab Says He’s Boycotting BP Gasoline
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What Happened
• A safety device on an ultra-deepwater oil well failed during development of the well.
• The well head is about a mile (5,000 ft) under water!
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The Cause of the Explosion that Killed 11 Workers and Sank the Platform is Unknown
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Fixing the Leak
• Several methods have been tried, but the leak continues.
• This is the first major oil spill that is not human accessible.
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“…Not Human Accessible…”
• Because the well is so deep, only robots can do the work of fixing it.
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Impact on Ecosystems
• Oil is an abiotic factor that has a BIG impact on ecosystems
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Hundreds, Thousands, or More Organisms Have already Been Affected
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Wetland Ecosystems• A wetland
ecosystem is one where the soil is saturated with water.
• They are also called marshes, swamps, bogs, and in Louisiana, the Bayou.
Louisiana Bayou
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Wetland Importance
• Wetlands are considered the most biologically diverse type of ecosystem.
• Many organisms including fish, birds, and many invertebrates use wetlands as breeding grounds and nurseries for their young.
Sandhill Crane, and nest
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These “Booms” Haven’t Helped Much
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Oil Offshore Damages Marine Ecosystems
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Some Prokaryotes Eat Oil• But it takes a long time, and uses a lot of
oxygen, which can create “dead zones”
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Chemical “Dispersants” Can be Dangerous
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Marine Biologists Investigate
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Once in a Marsh, Oil can Stay for Decades
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The Brown Pelican is the State Bird of Louisiana. It was taken off of the Endangered Species List last
Winter, but will be Back on Soon.
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It’s In Our Hands…
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What Can We Do?
• Donate to the clean up:– National Wildlife Federation• Text “WILDLIFE” to 20222 to donate $10
• Boycott BP products until the clean up is over and paid for?
• But Most Importantly…
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Demand Clean Energy
• Fossil fuels are dangerous pollutants that cause global warming when burned.
• We are all responsible for the spill, because we all use the oil.
• Let your Senators, Representatives, and even President Obama know we need a clean, renewable energy future!
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These Don’t Leak
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Ecosystem Diagram Activity
• Read the CNN article describing the impacts of the oil spill.
• Use the information provided to complete