The Gulf of Mexico oil spill

The 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill is an expanding threat to ocean life—a threat that could ultimately extend well beyond the Gulf. From the April 20 Deepwater Horizon explosion to the July 15 placement of a temporary cap on the leaking well, the Department of the Interior estimates 35,000 to 60,000 barrels (1,470,000 to 2,520,000 gallons) of crude oil spilled into the Gulf daily. At the low end, that's enough to fill the Aquarium's Giant Ocean Tank around 600 times. Contamination has already spread to the Florida coast and is likely to move north along the Eastern Seaboard via the Loop Current by fall of this year.