The chemicals BP has recently started using to break down the leaking oil in the Gulf may be more harmful than helpful to the environment and local wildlife. These chemicals, collectively known as dispersants, change the properties of oil to make it more soluble in water. Dispersants can be useful in keeping oil away from the shorelines, but they also cause leftover oil toxins to concentrate in traveling patches offshore which severely threaten populations of fish and other marine life.

Dispersed oil in the Gulf may follow the old saying “out of sight, out of mind” for BP, but the damage to underwater life can be devastating. Droplets of dispersed oil often end up perched in deepwater or fixed on the seafloor, becoming food for bottom feeders. The toxins work their way up the food chain, eventually affecting the fish and shellfish that America depends on as a food source. Fish eggs can also be killed by the presence of the dispersants and dispersed oil, leading to a noticeable decline in certain fish and shellfish populations in the Gulf.

What may seem like a viable solution to the economic impact of the Gulf oil leak may in fact be more of a detriment. Experts are unsure of what domino effect the use of dispersants will have on Gulf ecosystems. Commercial fisherman, Shrimpers, Charter Boat Operators and Seafood Packaging Companies should be aware of the possible long term environmental implications to their business before filing their claim against BP.

Less than a week after dispersants were released into the Gulf, an abnormally large numbers of dead jellyfish have washed ashore in Mississippi and at least 20 dead sea turtles, an endangered species. The marine life has not yet been tested for toxicity but it is surmised that either the oil or dispersants are to be blamed given that the normal death count for sea turtles in the same area is only one every six months. Dead horseshoe crabs, catfish and bird have also been found.

The oil that has managed to reach the shoreline already shows signs of being truly destructive to the wildlife in the eco-rich wetlands and on the beaches. Birds, ducks and pelicans have turned up covered in oil and we can’t help them fast enough. Spring happens to be the time of year when millions of bird colonies migrate north directly across the Gulf. Many of the migrating birds will take a break along the Gulf’s shorelines to rest and restock on food and water only to be covered in oil and chemicals.

The oiled birds and dead animals are warnings for us of what is to come. We must be prepared for reproductive failures within marine life, huge decreases in population and an overall collapse of the food chain within the Gulf ecosystem. The effects will be devastating and could possibly effect the environment for decades.