The Story

The Background: What’s down there?

In the Gulf of Mexico, oil can be found underneath the ocean floor. This oil can be turned into gas that we put into things like our cars. To get this oil, pipes need to be drilled into the ocean floor. These pipes have to be very long because some parts of the ocean are over 12,000 feet deep. (That’s more than 30 football fields down!) After the oil moves up through the pipes, it is moved to large boats on top of the ocean. These boats take the oil to a place where it can be turned into gasoline. Today, in the Gulf of Mexico, there are more than 28,000 miles of pipes that take oil from underneath the ocean and bring it to the top. If you were to drive 28,000 miles you would have to drive all the way around the earth and then another 300 miles!

To view live video of the oil leak Click Here

How did the oil leak start?

Certain events can break the pipes that pump the oil out of the ocean. Sometimes it is caused by nature, like hurricanes and small earthquakes. They can shake the pipes or the oil platforms where workers draw up the oil causing the pipes or platform to break. This can cause injury or even oil leaks. However, other mysterious things or equipment failures can cause a pipe to break. Equipment failures are what caused the oil leak from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.  An oil rig is a large machine that is setup in the ocean to drill for oil. It includes the pipes and motors that pump the oil, and it is also the place where the workers live. When they were building the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in February, a new pipe was being drilled into the Gulf of Mexico. Soon after the pipe was finished, the builders thought there might be a leak. Tests were done, but no one could figure out what was wrong or how to fix it.

What’s being done?

Because the pipe break was near the bottom of the ocean, about 5000 feet down, the water pressure and coldness of the water makes it impossible for humans to fix the pipe manually with their own hands. That is why everything that deals with fixing the pipe has to be done by remote controlled robots with cameras on them. This is why everything that deals with fixing the pipe has to be done by remote controlled robots with cameras on them.  Many things have been done to try to capture the oil, but they haven’t been able to grab 100% of the oil gushing into the ocean. Experts in the science and technology field are working on better ways to grab all of the oil so that it won’t leak in the ocean. Since lots more oil is still under the ocean floor and is only coming out because of the pipe in the ground, the only way to stop the leak is to stop the flow of oil coming from the pipe.”

As they try to stop the leak at the bottom of the ocean there is already oil that has reached the top of the water. Workers are trying to collect this oil by skimming the top of the water, lighting fires, and using chemicals. Skimming can grab puddles of oil on top of the water and push it towards one location where workers can collect it or light it on fire. (Think of it like skimming leaves out of a pool.) Chemicals can also be added to the oil to help break it up into smaller pieces.

What about the beaches, and birds, and fish?

Oil spills are very dangerous for the plants and animals that live around the area of the spill. All kinds of living creatures are affected by oil spills such as birds, fish, land animals, and seaweed.Animals can get very sick if they swim through the oil or eat the food where the oil is. Sometimes a sick or oil covered animal comes near the beach to try to get away from the oil.

There may be oil covered sea turtles, fish, seaweed, seashells, pelicans, and other birds on the beach. If you see an animal that looks sick or like it is covered in oil, please do not touch it or try to help it. This could get you sick, too. The best way to help these animals is to tell an adult so they can take care of it.

To report the oiled or injured animals, the adult can call (866) 557-1401.

The Science (with Professor Tinkermeister)

Professor Tinkermeister inspecting the beach

Unlike sugar or salt, oil does not dissolve when mixed with water. Have you ever watched your parents making spaghetti? Do they put vegetable oil or olive oil in the water before adding noodles? If they do, you might notice that the oil forms little puddles on top of the water and stays there.

If you take a spoon and stir the water, the oil will form smaller circles of oil. Nature can work the same way. Waves in the ocean can help break up the oil into tiny pieces. While you’ll be able to see the oil in the pot of spaghetti through the cooking process, not all of it will be there at the end. The heat of the water can help dissolve tiny droplets of oil. When you see steam, that is water evaporating. You can’t always see oil evaporate, but it does. Sunlight works to heat the ocean water, much like water on a hot stove, to evaporate oil from the ocean surface.

What Can I Do?

Sometimes pieces of oil can move through the waves and float in the water by the beach or land on the sand. This oil is black and looks sticky. If you see anything that you think might be oil, be sure to not touch it and tell an adult as soon as you can. If you’re swimming in the ocean and you get oil on you, don’t be afraid, it won’t hurt you. If this happens all you need to do is get out of the water and tell an adult. Once you wash the oil off of yourself you’ll be perfectly fine and will be able to continue having fun at the beach. If you do see oil in the water, you can still play on the beach unless there is a sign that says the beach is closed. Just make sure not to go in the water or touch any oil that is on the sand.

To report any oil on the beach, an adult can call (877) 272-8335.

Frequently Asked Questions

How effective is hay or hair at collecting oil? Hay or hair can be useful in collecting oil because the oil will stick to it. However, hay or hair, especially covered with oil, can be even more harmful than just the oil itself. Bacteria and other germs that live on hay and hair can be released into the ocean making animals and people sick. If animals or humans eat or swallow the oiled hay or hair it can make them very sick, too. Lastly, once the hay and hair is in the ocean, it is very hard to cleanup and collect it all.

What is a “boom” and how effective is it? A boom is a long piece of material that floats on top of the water. It is used to try and keep the oil contained or from moving further and further out. However,  ocean currents could push oil underneath the boom or waves can push oil on top and over the boom. Booms will not protect the shore from tar balls. It is only intended to deflect oil from sensitive areas.

What is a tar ball? When oil is leaked into the ocean the wind and waves tear it apart and move it around in the water. Moving and changing the oil causes it to go from looking like a flat sheet of oil to a ball of oil known as a “tarball.” Also, dirt, sand and other things in the ocean can attach to the oil and make it harder to look more like a rock.

Why is the oil spill a bad thing? The oil spill is bad because it hurts many different kinds of animals that live near the spill. These animals can become very sick if they swim through the oil or try to eat food from around the area. Fish, dolphins, shrimp, scallops, sea turtles, seaweed, pelicans, and other birds can all get hurt from an oil spill. When these animals get sick or hurt, people can suffer, too.  For example, there are a lot of fishermen who fish in the ocean, and when fish become sick from oil, the fisherman can’t catch them anymore. So, a lot of people who fish can lose their jobs. When tarballs reach the beach, the beaches are also damaged from the oil spill affecting the number of people who go to the beach.

Why is oil bad for animals? There are many animals that eat food out of the ocean and many more that live in the ocean. The animals that live near the oil spill may become covered in oil if it swims through the area or tries to eat food from around the area. This can make them very sick.

Is oil harmful to people? Oil is only harmful to people if it is eaten. If you are swimming in the ocean or walking on the beach and oil gets on you, it won’t hurt you.

When will the oil stop? Oil will stop flowing into the ocean when leaks in the oil pipe are fully sealed.

Will I still be able to go to the beach? You can still go to the beach unless there is a sign that says the beach is closed. If the beach is open and you see oil, you can still play on the beach, just make sure not to touch any of the oil.

How often does oil spill into the water? On any given day there could be oil in the water. Near Florida, over 500 ships a week travel in our coastal waters. Some of these boats can accidentally spill oil or gas from their boat into the water. Sometimes, larger events like hurricanes can cause oil to spill into the water from an oil platform. However, most events do not include such large amounts of oil as the Deepwater Horizon spill.

Where can I learn more about the oil spill? To learn as much as you want to about the oil spill, you and an adult can call the Florida Oil Spill Information Line at (888) 337-3569.

Glossary Words and Definitions

- B -

Boom: A long piece of material that floats on top of a body of water. It is used to try and keep oil contained or from moving further and further out

- D -

Deepwater Horizon: A very large oil rig that was built in the Gulf of Mexico and has leaked

Deflect: To make (something) move away from its original path

- E -

Effective: Being capable of accomplishing a goal

Evaporate: The process of a liquid turning into a gaseous state

- G -

Gulf of Mexico: The 11^th largest body of water in the world. It is an ocean basin surrounded by Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, as well as Mexico

- H -

Hurricanes: A very strong tropical storm with heavy rains and high winds

- O -

Ocean Currents: When ocean water constantly moves in a specific direction

Oil Platform: A large, manmade structure used to house the workers and machines needed to drill for oil in the ocean

Oil Rig: A large machine that is setup in the ocean to drill for oil. It includes pipes and motors to pump the oil, and it is also the place where the workers live.

- S -

Skimming: The act of removing floating material, like oil, from the surface of a liquid

- T -

Tar Balls: When wind and waves break up oil into clumps that float in the ocean