BP Oil Disaster

The BP-leased Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded on April 20, 2010, killing eleven workers and initiating what could become the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, with an estimated 25,000 barrels of oil leaking daily.

As the oil slick spreads, the people of the Gulf Coast face massive job losses and devastated coastlines. The fishing waters, wildlife, and beaches of the Gulf could be impacted for decades.

This is a satellite image of the oil slick from the NASA Aqua Satellite on May 17th. It looks like the slick has begun to enter the gulf stream loop current.

See all of NASA Earth Observatory's photos and satellite images of the spill
ESA Satellite Images

To get a better sense of scale, check out this oil spill map built with the Google Earth API. Compare the size of the spill to your own home town.

NOAA is trying to predict where the oil is going each day, with different forecast maps. The Red x's are where the oil is expected to make landfall. The blue color shows the You can find updated maps on NOAA's Deep Water Horizon website.

NOAA has been changing the boundries of fishing restriction regularly in May. This is the restriction as of May 18th. Many species of fish and shrimp inhabit the Continental Shelf right offshore (highlighted in faint yellow on the map).

Affected Species:
Red Drum, Yellowmouth, Yellowfin, Scamp, Greater, Amberjack, Lesser Amberjack, Banded, Rudderfish, Red Grouper, Gag Grouper, Black Grouper, Red Snapper, Vermilion Snapper, Lane Snapper, Gray/Mangrove, Cubera, Mahogany, Schoolmaster, Yellowtail Snapper, Dog Snapper, Mutton Snapper, Blackfin, Silk Snapper, Cobia (ling), Spanish Mackerel, King Mackerel

NOAA: Fish Habitat maps

The coastline affected by this oil disaster includes one of the world's biggest migratory bird routes: the Mississippi Flyway. Brown pelicans, terns, gulls, and shorebirds like plovers all nest here in the spring. About 40 percent of all North American migrating waterfowl and shorebirds use this route. Warblers, orioles, and other songbirds are currently making their way back to the States after wintering in South America.

The oil slick is directly in their paths.

A great outline of possible impacts

NY Times Infographic

The Loop Current, which pushes into the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean and then moves clockwise toward Florida, could potentially carry oil into the powerful Gulf Stream. Should that happen, the effects of the spill will spread to the Florida Keys, Florida's Atlantic beaches, and even futher north along the Atlantic coast.

The latest surface current forecast from the NOAA