Was the dispersant worth it?

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The chemical sprayed in the Gulf to break up the BP oil spill may not have been effective and could be damaging the ecosystem, according to preliminary findings by University of West Florida researchers. When mixed with oil, Corexit is toxic to phytoplankton and bacteria, crucial to the Gulf of Mexico's food chain, said Wade Jeffrey, a UWF biologist with the Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation. BP dumped nearly 2 million gallons of the dispersant in the Gulf, which saw more than 172 million gallons of oil leak into the water in the wake of the April 20 Deepwater Horizon explosion. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 05/31/11)