Nine years have passed since crude oil began leaking from the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig into the Gulf of Mexico. A long-term study suggests the oil is still affecting the saltmarshes of the Gulf Coast, and reveals the key role that marsh grasses play in the overall recovery of these important coastal wetlands.
The researchers’ early sampling showed that nearly all the plants in heavily oiled areas died, while benthic microalgae and burrowing invertebrates suffered significant reductions. Their later sampling showed that marsh recovery was led by benthic microalgae and Spartina — which began to show significant above-ground growth within two to three years. Importantly, it was only after Spartina started its comeback that recovery of the invertebrate community began in earnest.