Deepwater Horizon’s Hidden Toll: Deep-Sea Life Still Missing

A vast deep-water ecosystem in the northern Gulf of Mexico collapsed after the 2011 Deepwater Horizon oil and gas spill, and recovery remains uncertain, according to new research. The study, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined hundreds of miles of the northern Gulf. It found that animal populations—including octopus, krill, squid and shrimp—declined sharply after the spill. The research concludes that the damage reached far beyond surface waters, affecting life in the deep sea. Whether these populations will recover, and how long it might take, is still unknown.