Just one month after the anniversary of the Deepwater oil spill, scientists are discovering disturbing illnesses in fish found in the Gulf of Mexico.
Fish in the Gulf and inland waterways from Northwest Florida to Louisiana, are appearing with a variety of diseases and ailments including skin lesions, external parasites, finrot, spots, liver blood clots and other health problems. These are similar to conditions shown by fish following the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 from which the herring fishery still hasn’t recovered.
Scientists at the University of West Florida Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation are collecting samples of fish from sites around the Gulf and from fishermen to examine them for symptoms.
One of the chief biologists William Patterson III is quoted: "I've had tens of thousands of fish in my hands and not seen these symptoms in so many fish before. All those symptoms have been seen naturally before, but it's a matter of them all coming at once that we're concerned about."
He was keen to point out however, that it is important to remain impartial as the Gulf has never been examined in so much detail before.
Researchers will conduct a series of test to establish the cause of the symptoms; including toxicology reports to establish whether the fish have come into contact with oil, and microscopic examination for causative microbes.
Heather Reed, a marine biologist at Pensacola added: "I've been testing different organs in game fish that have been brought to me, and I'm seeing petroleum hydrocarbons in the organs. I was shocked when I saw it."
Both scientists emphasise that it is difficult to establish numbers of fish affected as commercial fishermen are reluctant to report them for fear of their fishing grounds being closed down.
Richard Snyder, director of UWFCEDB summarised: "Cause and effect is a huge problem for environmental work. You see anomalies in fish. Is it oil-related? How do we prove it? We can make the connection with economic stuff. But after the oil is gone, how do you definitely say the fish are sick because of the oil spill? We may never know, and that's the frustrating thing."
Check out the video below: