REUTERS / U.S. Coast Guard / Casey J. Ranel / Handout
BP has continued to question whether or not oil is actually floating beneath the ocean surface in the Gulf. But new water tests confirm that yes, plumes are indeed developing – plumes far larger than anyone thought.
The Associated Press reports that a University of South Florida research vessel has tracked oil plumes that are reaching down as deep as 3,300 feet, stretching 42 miles northeast of the well site (towards the U.S. coast) and 142 miles southeast. NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco has made a point, though, to underscore the low concentration of this oil – roughly 0.5 parts per million.
Still, the sheer size and depth of this hidden plume suggests a sprawling underwater catastrophe far larger in scope than most experts were anticipating. And while the ultimate effects of the surface oil can be seen and dealt with rapidly, such vast underwater plumes present an entirely different challenge for scientists hoping to salvage the Gulf ecosystem.