The populations of numerous species of aquatic life in the Gulf of Mexico are likely to plummet because of the high levels of carbon pumping into the water from the BP oil well disaster, the top official in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday at the Aspen Ideas Festival.
NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco said the full extent of the environmental disaster might not be known for years.
“We don't yet know all the ways that will play out. It can certainly kill a lot of young stages [of aquatic life],” she said.
For example, the Gulf Coast is one of only two known spawning areas for Atlantic blue fin tuna. Eggs and larvae are in the water at this time of year.
Read the complete story from the Aspen Times.