(Mario Tama/Getty Images)Six years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill devastated the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, scientists are still taking stock of the damage it caused. Following the spill, the researchers observed widespread erosion throughout the entire study area, in many cases leading to the fragmentation and even near-destruction of islands in the area. This makes sense, given what scientists know about the way oil affects vegetation in coastal areas. The study “shows that the shoreline erosion is connected to the severity of oiling,” Ramsey said. Overall, the spatial erosion patterns that occurred after the hurricane were more similar to the baseline patterns observed prior to the oil spill, the researchers note.

Source: Washington Post November 21, 2016 16:28 UTC