http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/07/gulf.oil.plume/?hpt=T1

St. Petersburg, Florida (CNN) — As if the pictures of birds, fish and animals killed by floating oil in the Gulf of Mexico are not disturbing enough, scientists now say they have found evidence of another danger lurking underwater.

The University of South Florida recently discovered a second oil plume in the northeastern Gulf. The first plume was found by Mississippi universities in early May.

USF has concluded microscopic oil droplets are forming deep water oil plumes. After a weeklong analysis of water samples, USF scientists found more oil in deeper water.

“These hydrocarbons are from depth and not associated with sinking degraded oil but associated with the source of the Deep Horizon well head,” said USF Chemical Oceanographer David Hollander.

Through isotopic or microscopic fingerprinting, Hollander and his USF crew were able to show the oil in the plume came from BP’s blown-out oil well. The surface oil’s so-called fingerprint matched the tiny underwater droplet’s fingerprint.

“We’ve taken molecular isotopic approaches which is like a fingerprint on a smoking gun,” Hollander said.

BP has not commented on the latest development but in the past denied underwater oil plumes exist.

“The oil is on the surface,” said BP’s Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward. “There aren’t any plumes.”

Yet BP’s Managing Director Bob Dudley said recently, “We’re all absolutely taking these ideas seriously and looking at them.”

Scientists on board the university’s research vessel Weatherbird II were not able to find the dissolved hydrocarbon or oil by sight. Instead the crew received sensor signatures from the equipment deployed into the water since the plumes appear to be clear.

USF is unsure on the exact size of the plumes.

“There are indications this is fairly wide spread,” said the USF oceanographer. “There is probably more than one leg of this plume.”

Scientist are concerned what effect the oil, not to mention the dissolvents used to break up the oil, will have on marine life.

Laboratory tests show bacteria have begun eating some elements of the dissolved hydrocarbons. But the effect on fish “is what needs to be understood,” said Hollander. “We are in uncharted territory.”

Water samples collected by USF were sent to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration labs. NOAA has yet to comment on their conclusions.

NOAA and USF will hold a joint press conference Tuesday morning at the university’s St. Petersburg campus to release their final findings.

Special thanks to Craig Q

Going on a tip from Sky Truth, world renowned photographer Henry Fair, SouthWings pilot Tom Hutchings and Hurricane Creekkeeper, John L. Wathen Flew a photo mission over the BP Slick and beyond. At about 12 miles off the mouth of the Mississippi River we encountered another leaking oil rig! The plume was either coming from the drilling operation or the boat itself. In any case it is large enough to be reported.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWHLrcxLVkg
Spread it around
John L. Wathen
Hurricane Creekkeeper,
Friends of Hurricane Creek

Members of
WATERKEEPER Alliance
http://www.waterkeeper.org

Who has the authority to say someone else
is not being a good steward of the environment?

Anyone who notices.

Special thanks to Richard Charter

June 7th, 2010

This post was received from a “friend of the wilderness” who wishes not to be identified, but tells a revealing story about how oiled seabirds are treated in Louisiana.  DV

I returned from Ft. Jackson after days with Tri-State and IBRRC.  Very impressive, hard-working and organized groups I might add.  They were contracted by BP to handle the oiled wildlife (some exceptions like sea-turtles, dolphins etc). 

I will tell you that when I arrived last Monday morning there had been about 52 birds processed to date (excuse the word ‘process’ – I couldn’t think of another).  Some  wild guesses would be that they had maybe 25 still there and 14 of those were taken on Saturday by Fish and Wildlife to be released somewhere in Florida. .. the turn around time being around 10 days.
 
That was the entire spill total after what, 5 weeks?  Something seemed very wrong, at least to us few volunteers (the rest were all staff from California, Delaware and elsewhere).   But…..
 I think it was Thursday night……….they started coming by truck, boat and helicopter.  It was like MASH.
 

By the time I left last night (Sunday night) there were over 300 badly oiled birds logged, mostly pelicans, (and during their nesting season).  They are the lucky ones.  The staff was busy building new cages, adapting the physical plant to accommodate the space needed and bringing in more staff and volunteers.    Think of over 300 mostly pelicans, badly oiled or recuperating, in one place.  Their fish needs alone are staggering.
 
It was very hard work.  If I were 30 again I would still be there.  But I am going back.

June 7th, 2010

Text and photos by DeeVon Quirolo dquirolo@gmail.com  www.reefrelieffounders.com

Key Westers braved the 90 degree noon day sun to take to the street–Duval Street–to join hands and wave handmade signs to express love for the ocean.  Some called for an end to offshore oil.   Residents, business people and even tourists all gathered along Duval Street to join hands at 12:15 am today in a relatively spontaneous event dubbed “Sea to Shining Sea”.   Duval Street runs from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean.   

Realtor Joanne Tarantino stepped out of her office on Lower Duval to take part.  “We’ve all worked so hard to protect our coral reefs.  We paid extra to have the best waste treatment for Key West.  It’s just a shame that this oil spill happened,”  she noted.

Buco Pantelis ran the length of Duval Street capturing it all on video.  “It was really positive,” he noted.   “A good reaction from everyone.   People were shoulder to shoulder at the lower end of Duval and more spread out as you headed toward the other end;  I’d say at least a few hundred people were there.”

Sophia Skoglund, a sophomore at Key West High School, said she had written to President Obama.  Her letter included a special request:  “ I am asking you, as a teenager who should have been worrying about finals and summer plans of going to the beach, as a daughter much like your own, and as someone who wanted you in office to represent the people including myself, to do something about the oil spill. I am not unaware at your own frustration and anxiety in the matter. I feel the same. But I am only 15 and have little say in the world. But I do have a right to say how much I love our earth, and would do anything to protect the mangroves to the fish to the beaches that I am fortunate enough to call home.”

Here’s a letter from the daughter of a friend I met at the Sea to Shining Sea demonstration against offshore oil today on Duval Street in Key West.  Everyone joined hands from one end of Duval Street to the other to show support for protecting our gulf and ocean waters.  It was inspiring.   DV

June 7th, 2010

President Obama,
    My name is Sophia. I am going to be a sophomore in High School this upcoming year. When politics affect me specifically I care. I’ve grown up in Key West, FL. It’s an island surrounded by water.
    My entire life I have grown up in the water, I’ve spent so much of my life going to the beach, sailing, going out on the boat, snorking, diving and swimming in these waters. These waters are the home of the third largest reef in the entire world, and home to thousands of life that is not found anywhere other than here.
   I’m sure as a father, souly a father, you have great memories of your family and yourself spending days at the beach, and teaching your children how to swim, and feeling the sand squish between your toes. I am also aware that as a elected representative of our nations people, here to do what right and wanted by the people, you understand the predicament we are in due to the deep water horizon oil spill. It has been about 48 days in counting that the leak has not been stopped. From the views on effect on economy, to the recession, to our waters, to tourism, to the very politics of BP’s responsibility on this matter, we all know there is a major problem in our mitts.
     I am asking you, as a teenager who should have been worrying about finals and summer plans of going to the beach, as a daughter much like your own, and as someone who wanted you in office to represent the people including myself, to do something about the oil spill. I am not unaware at your own frustration and anxiety in the matter. I feel the same. But I am only 15 and have little say in the world. But I do have a right to say how much I love our earth, and would do anything to protect the mangroves to the fish to the beaches that I am fortunate enough to call home.
    BP has not done much about stopping/cleaning up the spill, and who knows when they will. Please, as our President, as a person, as someone who has more resources to do something about this that I, do something about the spill. Listen to the ideas suggested at it all, there are thousands. And we have only failed if we did not try at all.
Please don’t let our nation fail.
Please, I would like this to actually make it to the President’s own eyes. I am not just another person asking him to do something, I am asking him as a real person. A living breathing individual not to just be a face in the crowd.
Respects,
Sophia Skoglund