Oil Spill!: Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico

The oil spill was the largest in US history In April the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded and sank Oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico from a deep ocean well For months the energy company BP tried to control the leak More than four million barrels of oil flowed into the Gulf before the well was stopped Fishers shrimpers and many others along the Gulf coast lost their income as polluted water prevented fishing and stifled tourism Meanwhile countless workers tried to contain the spilled oil Boat crews skimmed the oil slicks on the surface Scientists poured chemicals into the water to break up the oil Then bacteria could remove the smaller oil droplets from the water Wildlife organizations rescued oil-slicked pelicans turtles and other animals The government together with BP and volunteers rallied to help coastal areas recover Oil Spill explores the Gulf of Mexico disaster from the beginning With vivid images and diagrams it breaks down the murky mess to look at how it happened how it affected the Gulf how it compares to past spills and how kids can help the area recover.