The damage to the ecosystem begins all the way at the sea floor. Corral reefs, which are a vital part of the oceans ecosystem, became coated with oil and died, Researchers found that 86 percent or coral reefs near the spill and it’s estimated that 10 times that many were actually Harmed. 6000 of the recovered animals were birds. When the oil gets their feathers, they lose the ability to shed water and makes it almost impossible for them to fly. It’s hard for scientist to determine how many fish were killed, but the number is in could be in the millions. Other mammals that were affected include bottlenose and spinner dolphins, sperm whales melon headed whales and 4 different species of endangered turtles. Recue efforts were able to save some of these, but the impact of the spill goes beyond just the environmental aspects. The US relies on the Gulf of Mexico for a third of all its seafood. After the spill, fisherman stared finding fish with sores and lesion, shrimp with eyes, and clawless crabs, it was discovered that these mutations were the result of the toxic oil and the dispersants afterwards. A third of the Gulf was closed to fishing in order to ensure that safety of