Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

On April 20, 2010, there was an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig, located about 50 mi (80 km) off the coast of Louisiana. The explosion killed 11 workers and caused the rig to collapse and sink 5,000 ft (1,500 m) to the sea floor. Safety measures intended to cap the deepwater well in the event of such an accident did not work properly, and huge amounts of crude oil have been leaking from the well ever since. Because the well is so deep, efforts to completely stop the leak could take weeks or even months. The accident is projected to be the largest oil spill in U.S. history. Widespread damage is expected to affect fish, birds, coastal wetlands, and other organisms and habitats in the Gulf of Mexico.

Secrets of the Gulf Connection

Immersion’s Secrets of the Gulf program focuses on the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS), home to one of the healthiest coral reef ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is not expected to affect the sanctuary, but staff wrote this article to explain how they would respond if the spill were to reach the sanctuary.

Find Out More and Join the Discussion

To find out more about the Deepwater Horizon spill and learn about actions you can take to help, visit the links to the right. To join a discussion about the spill with other concerned kids and adults, visit the Immersion facebook page and weigh in on the following questions:

1. What would you do to stem the leak?
2. How would you coordinate a response to clean up?
3. What should be done to protect marine mammals and other animals affected by the spill?

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