The Deepwater Horizon oil spill will forever be a part of history, and has recently been a major driver for a change of protocol and regulation. One aspect of this disaster that is a direct consequence is how marine life has been impacted since April 20^th, 2010.

 Marine mammals have been greatly affected by the spill and populations may never fully recover. The three main species of marine mammals affected are already vulnerable populations. They are bottlenose dolphins, sperm whales, and Byrd’s whales. The physical damage of these species is critical, as the spill has caused oiling and inhalation of toxic fumes, but there is an equally critical and perhaps less known impact. The spill happened during the reproductive cycle for bottlenose dolphins, which will likely have a significant impact on the population. Many were found dead and many more were stranded and stillborn or neonates. However, this has not been officially linked to the spill even though many were covered in oil. Even a small number of calf deaths has a significant effect on the dolphin population. This holds true because the dolphins have made homes in many isolated areas of the Gulf. The effects on sperm and Byrd’s whales are not as known at this point, but with both species being endangered, the oil and toxics left behind cannot be good for the population.

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- U.S. regulators said a supplemental exploration plan was approved for BP's work in the Gulf of Mexico, its first since the Deepwater Horizon accident in 2010.

Despite the fact that the federal government  issued citations against BP that said  it failed to protect safety and the environment in regards to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill disaster (trial date February 2012), they are allowing the company to bid for new oil drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico.  Michael Bromwich, the head of the new Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, told reporters that the administration felt it was not appropriate to “administer the death penalty” based on one incident.

The effects of Deepwater Horizon disaster are still being felt in the Gulf Coast region. However, there have been steps made to keep this from happening again, and not just in the Gulf. These types of disasters will be much less likely to happen off of U.S. waters everywhere, thanks to new enforcement announced by the government that it will regulate not only offshore rigs, but also the contractors who own and work on them. The Bureau of Safety Environmental Enforcement’s interim director Michael Bromwich announced these new regulations at an oil conference last week. 

BATON ROUGE, La. -- A new Louisiana State University study shows the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on fish living in Louisiana marshes and reveals a problem that could affect the future of the seafood industry.

With much of the gulf coast region still feeling the effects of the BP oil spill in April 2010, the question of who is to blame for this disaster is on many people’s minds. The issue may never be completely resolved, especially for those who lost family members and profits from the spill. However, there may be an answer to this question now, or at least a partial one. A report put out by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE), which is formerly known as the Minerals Management Service (MMS), and the Coast Guard, puts the blame on multiple companies. The report states that BP, Transocean, and other contractors such as Halliburton that were involved in the complete process and permitting of the Deepwater Horizon well are all to blame, according to the report. Cutting corners and changing plans last minute are mentioned as possible reasons for the blowout and explosion. There is one more critical aspect that must be examined, and it is the entire regulatory process that allowed many of these mistakes to happen in the first place.

With much of the gulf coast region still feeling the effects of the BP oil spill in April 2010, the question of who is to blame for this disaster is on many people’s minds. The issue may never be completely resolved, especially for those who lost family members and profits from the spill. However, there may be an answer to this question now, or at least a partial one. A report put out by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE), which is formerly known as the Minerals Management Service (MMS), and the Coast Guard, puts the blame on multiple companies. The report states that BP, Transocean, and other contractors such as Halliburton that were involved in the complete process and permitting of the Deepwater Horizon well are all to blame, according to the report. Cutting corners and changing plans last minute are mentioned as possible reasons for the blowout and explosion. There is one more critical aspect that must be examined, and it is the entire regulatory process that allowed many of these mistakes to happen in the first place.

Oil giant BP is set to take another battering after a US judge ruled thousands of fishermen and business owners hit by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster could sue for punitive damages, it has been reported.

Judge Carl Barbier, who is considering some 500 cases against BP and its main co-defendants Transocean, has said the plaintiffs are allowed to make their cases under maritime law for punitive damages - penalties designed to deter bad conduct, the Sunday Telegraph said.

One year after the notorious BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and two decades after the Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound off the coast of Alaska the scientific lesson is clear – microbes matter! Despite vast differences in the impacted marine ecosystems and the circumstances of these two worst oil spills in U.S. history, oil-degrading microorganisms played a significant role in reducing the overall environmental impact of both spills.