May 10, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The failed weekend installation of a containment dome to slow the spread of free-flowing oil in the Gulf of Mexico is a significant setback in the efforts to save the vibrant wildlife of the Gulf Coast, says Stephen Watts, Ph.D., a biologist and expert in aquaculture at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
However, Watts is quick to point out that a successful containment would have done nothing to remove the existing crude from the Gulf waters.
"A successful containment would have given us some hope that the coastlines could have been spared," Watts says. "If the oil leak could be stopped or significantly slowed in the next few days, there is the possibility that much of the crude already released into the water will be caught up in the Gulf flow and be taken out to sea and disperse over time.
"This scenario is the lesser of two evils, because no one wants any oil in the ocean but the adult wildlife in those deeper waters should be able to migrate out should it encounter the oil slick or its remnants," he says.
Of greater concern to Watts, who is one of a series of experts from UAB available for oil slick commentary and analysis, is the continued free flow of oil after the weekend failure of the containment-dome strategy. Watts says new weather forecasts for prevailing changes over the next several days mean a significant landfall event is very likely, affecting the coastal areas where diversity is greater and habitats more fragile.
"The ecosystems within a mile of the coastline are the most diverse," he says. "These are nursery habitats where the young of so many species grow to adulthood.
"As the slick begins to more dramatically impact these communities and affect the growth of young animals or the reproductive ability of entire populations in the week to come, there could be devastating impacts that some species may not be able to recover from," Watts says.
About the UAB College of Arts and Sciences
The Department of Biology is housed in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences, home to academic disciplines that include the arts, humanities, sciences ands the School of Education. The college's unique structure advances research and learning in both K-12 and higher education, and its courses are taught by a world-class faculty. Committed to the UAB spirit of independence and innovation, the college enables students to design their own majors, participate in undergraduate research or complete graduate degrees on a five-year fast track. Through productive partnerships, flexible curricula and a bold, interdisciplinary approach to learning and teaching, the college is preparing students for success in the ever-changing global marketplace of commerce and ideas.