Oil spill background

The Big Oil Spill

Cleanup crews are working around the clock to contain a large oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The spill has created an oil slick that is threatening wildlife in the Gulf and surrounding wetlands. Here’s what kids are asking about the spill—and answers from environmental experts at Ranger Rick magazine.

What happened?

Hundreds of oil wells have been drilled into the ground beneath the Gulf of Mexico. At each deep-water well, a pipe carries the oil from deep in the Gulf floor up to a platform that floats on the water’s surface. Here the oil is collected and shipped to land for us to use.

On April 20, a new well had just been drilled. Suddenly, some natural gas and oil accidentally escaped from the well and gushed to the surface. Then, right beneath the drilling platform, it exploded in a huge fireball. The damaged platform sank and pulled the pipe leading from the well down with it. The pipe is now leaking at several places on the ocean floor.

Why are people so worried about the leak?

The oil coming out of the ocean floor is a dark, thick, sticky liquid with a strong odor. It is floating to the surface and spreading, creating an oil “slick” that covers hundreds of square miles. It coats everything it touches in a layer of sticky oil. The oil also pollutes the water, and air above it, with fumes that are dangerous to breathe.

Millions of gallons of oil have leaked into the Gulf so far. As more and more oil leaks from the well, the slick spreads farther and farther. It has now washed up onto the coast, and into wetlands in some areas. This presents a serious threat to plants and animals that live there.

What happens to the animals that get covered in oil?

Birds get the oil on their feathers when they dive into the water for food or when they land on the surface to rest. When they try to clean their feathers with their beaks, they can accidentally swallow some of the oil. The oil also hurts their eyes and harms their lungs. People are capturing some of these birds and trying to clean them, but many of the oil-soaked birds still die.

Ocean animals, such as sea turtles and dolphins, also get oil on them when they come to the surface to breathe. They can be harmed by chemicals in the oil, especially if they swallow or breathe some. Currently, more than 200 sea turtles have died from the spill. Smaller creatures aren’t safe either. Countless larvae (young) of fish, shrimp, crabs, oysters, and turtle hatchlings, which swim in the open sea, have also been killed by the pollution, scientists believe.