Gulf Oil Spill

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico began when an oil rig blew up and sank on April 20, 2010. Hundreds of millions of gallons spilled while the companies tried to find a way to stop it. Finally, the oil well was plugged up in mid-September, but the clean up of oil and the research into its effects on wildlife, the ecosystem, and people will go on for decades. To find out more about the spill and its aftermath read stories, take a quiz, and watch videos of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico below.





Quiz Your Noodle: 2010 Oil Spill
See if you have all of the facts on the 2010 oil spill when you take this quiz.







Green Scene: Oil Well in the Gulf of Mexico Capped
Read about the permanent cap placed on the oil well.








Green Scene: Manta Rays Affected by Oil?
Scientists aren't sure how the remaining oil in the Gulf will affect the manta rays living there.







Green Scene: Oil in Coastal Marshes
Oil isn't only a problem on the water--it's a problem in the coastal mashes, too.




President Obama's National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling recommends that the government agencies and industry need to close safety gaps that led to the disaster.




Green Scene: Substance to Keep Oil Off of Birds?
Scientists are working on an eco-friendly substance that will help keep oil from sticking to birds during future oil spills.







Content produced by National Geographic. Funded in part by the National Science Foundation under Award # DRL-104574