Short Term Impacts of Oil Spill to Become Clearer in 2011

Scientists will develop a good understanding of the short-term impacts the Gulf oil spill is having on fishes, birds and sea turtles in 2011, but an in-depth understanding will take much longer, predicts a University of Alabama ecologist.

“In 2011, we should develop a fairly good understanding of the short-term impacts of the Gulf oil spill on the hardest hit coastal wetlands and estuaries, as well as on some well-studied animal populations, such as sport and commercial fishes, birds and sea turtles,” says Dr. Julia Cherry, assistant professor of New College and biological sciences at UA.

“However, we will only scratch the surface of understanding the spill’s longer-term effects and its impacts to open water or deep-sea ecosystems. It will likely take years to understand the extent of the spill’s various environmental impacts.”

Research funding available to study the Gulf will continue increasing in the next year, but the results it brings may be more beneficial to understanding the area’s overall ecology rather than isolating specific oil-related impacts, she says.

“While the science will take years to play out, the spill’s coverage in the media will continue waning as fishing areas and beaches re-open and tourism along the Gulf Coast picks up again,” Cherry says.