Florida’s beaches, fishing and wildlife habitats are a major factor in the state’s $65 billion a year tourism industry, and while the massive oil slick is currently many miles from Florida’s coastline it is already having a direct impact on local businesses. It is only a matter of time before the tar balls currently being washed up in other states start to reach Florida’s white sand beaches, and it is this impending disaster that is already keeping visitors away.
Down in the Florida Keys, whose entire economy is reliant on fishing and tourism, things could get a lot worse if the oil slick reaches the Gulf Loop Current. This current is a clockwise swirl of warm water that starts every spring and summer, and if the oil reaches that then it will be carried right through the Florida Keys, past Miami and along the whole east coast of Florida and up to Cape Hatteras in North Carolina. The economic and environmental effects of this would be devastating to the state’s fishing and tourism industries.

The Florida Keys consists of over 6000 reefs and is the only living reef structure in the continental United States. These reefs are all in relatively shallow water and could be completely smothered and destroyed by an oil slick that is laden with toxic chemical dispersants, because these dispersants cause the oil to sink through the water column instead of floating on the surface. This concentrates the oil’s toxicity which is then eaten by the bottom feeders and passed up the whole food chain, poisoning everything.

Floridians are keeping a careful eye on the oil slick’s progress, and while it may be several weeks before it arrives, when it does arrive it’s effect will be enormous. If your business has already suffered, or if you believe your business will suffer very shortly, contact one of our experienced Florida oil spill lawyers who can advise you on your best course of action for seeking compensation from those responsible for this disaster.