We already knew that BP was injecting dispersants directly into the plume a mile down.

And we already know that the dispersants break down. Read the MSDS for corexit - then compare it to the MSDS for Dawn dish detergent.

We know this stuff breaks down in nature, and we know that there are bacteria that eat petroleum.

The known danger is that a bacterial flourish could deplete the oxygen in some part of the ocean, creating a dead zone.

There are already dead zones in the gulf of mexico, including the one right where ole man river pours in, which has been there for as long as anyone has ever bothered to know about it.

So far, this doesn't appear to be happening. Oxygen is down about 20% in the parts of the gulf where the oil probably is, which seems to indicate that it will return to normal eventually.

Do we know the long term effects of this much oil and dispersant in the ocean? there's no way we could know.

But we suspect it'll be ok.

All that natural petroleum will be just all cozy with all that natural methane ice down there, which by the way, is also a hydrocarbon. Nature loves her some hydrocarbons. One big hydrocarbon chemical soup orgy down on the bottom of the gulf, just like in the old days. A whole new ecosystem for nature to exploit.

"We have nothing to fear, but fear itself."- JFK

Just as long as this doesn't happen.

You mean we can't know exactly how everything is going to work out immediately today right now for sure????

texdent: Just as long as this doesn't happen.

That would be pretty cool, actually...

Mad-n-FL: The Gulf; it's dead Jim.

Funny I just saw some dolphins playing near Port Fourchon.

FTFA: Joye can't yet say with certainty that the oily layer is from BP's blown-out well.

I really enjoy the scientific thoroughness of this position.

Those "scientists" ought to study some science.

There is a microbe in the ocean which eats crude oil, and remains dormant most of the time--but bear in mind, enough crude seeps up naturally so they can make a steady living.

However when there is a major rupture, those bugs multiply exponentially: eating and dividing, eating and dividing, until they gobble up all the oil.

Once that happens, they starve and are eaten in turn by small animals like diatoms and coepods, which in turn are eaten by little fish like herring and menhaden.

When the Ixtoc well blew in 1981, it spewed 10 times as much oil as the BP spill---and this was in Mexico, where the government doesn't give a sh*t about public opinion.

Things were back to normal in a year.