Evidence of oil on Gulf floor mounts

While the surface signs of this summer’s oil spill are harder to find, that’s not the case on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. A "multicorer" used to obtain three soil samples, one 140 nautical miles away, one 16 nautical miles from the well and one mid-way, shows a big difference. The soil the furthest away is all mud, while a sample from the intermediate location near Gulfport, Miss., has a thin layer of oil. The one near the well is striped with a bottom layer of mud, a layer that appears to be oil and a top layer of slime that may be oil with bacteria feeding on it. What all this means for sea life is still to be determined. (Source: OnEarth magazine, 11/04/10) Federal scientists have found damage to deep sea corals and other marine life several miles from where the BP well spewed millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists said surveys using remotely operated vehicles down to 4,600 feet and seven miles from the BP well found dead and dying corals, some coated with a brown substance. Further tests are needed to determine if the substance is oil. (Source: AP, 11/05/10)