Low-oxygen pockets found off Alabama coast, raising new fears for sea life

[Ed Barrow]

Source: Mobile Press-Register

Scientists measured two areas of low oxygen off the Alabama coast Tuesday, finding levels below the threshold that marine creatures need to survive.

The first low-oxygen pocket was found on the bottom in about 60 feet of water 12 miles off the coast due south of the mouth of Mobile Bay. The second was in about 100 feet of water 25 miles off the coast.

The low-oxygen layer was about 9 feet thick in each location. Scientists traveled a north-south line during the sampling, so there was no indication as to how wide the areas were.

Scientists said the unusual presence of low-oxygen areas off the coast raises the possibility that the number of oil-eating microbes has swelled because of the millions of gallons of oil in the Gulf.

Read more: http://blog.al.com/live/2010/06/low-oxygen_pockets_found_off_a.html

[izquierdista]

1. Imagine that...

A bit of understatement. Kind of like the scientist at the first atom bomb test who raised the possibility that it might be bright.

They need to have a flotilla of boats out on the water pumping air into the waters of the Gulf 24/7. It takes about 30 cubic feet of air to metabolize each ounce of crude oil in the water. There's a lot of ounces of oil in the water. If anyone wants me to post the calculation, I will.