Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Research Paper

Words: 1810
Pages: 8

Cory Nunenmacher
Mrs. G
English III A period
10-2-17
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded because the cement at the bottom of the borehole failed to create a seal and stop the oil and gas from leaking. To prevent this from happening the oil rig should have a seeable cement. On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, located in the Gulf of Mexico, got destroyed. The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and engulfed into flames. When the Deepwater Horizon sunk, it killed eleven (11) workers and released four (4) million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The release of four (4) million barrels of oil resulted in the largest oil spill in US history and the history of marine drilling operations. The
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There was a huge abundance of shrimp and other seafoods. Louisiana’s coastal function as a habitat for numerous species, including brown shrimp. The shrimp larvae drifted into estuaries through tidal waves, and stayed in estuaries throughout the young stages until they moved to the shore and spawned on the shore. The two types of shrimp that entered the estuaries as larvae during two different periods of the year: brown shrimp are present during February to April, and white shrimp during May to November. Both kinds of shrimp are spread around the bayou when storms hit. During the aftermath of life stages of shrimp, they are exposed to the contaminated waters that belong to the bayou. The contaminants in the bayou include PAHs, which are made of crude oil. PAHs reduce growth rates of crustaceans by raising the intermolt period and lowering the growth per crustaceans. White Gulf are exposed to oil, and are highly to live a short period of time. After natural disasters, such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, there was an increase in the size of White Gulf shrimp. Barataria Bay and Lake Pontchartrain, which are both located in Louisiana, both were impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWH). The basins were not hit as hard as the bays and lakes. (Joris L. van der Ham, Kim de Mutsert pg.