Vital Vegetation

The Gulf of Mexico is under attack by an oil leak that is so bad it will impact the bordering states for years if not generations.In the bordering states, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Missouri there is near panic as the oil blobs are washed up on the beaches. This is the good news as the people are able to capture the mess and bag it. The real problem is with the wetlands. We usually see these states depicted as having pristine,sandy beaches. This is true but the real truth is this makes up a small portion of the coastline.

Most of the coastline is composed of mangroves or marshes. When oil penetrates these areas it is impossible to clean it up causing eventual death to the nursery of the gulf. The mangroves are unique in as much as they grow in salt water and become home to nearly all fish life. The mangroves protect the young hatching's from predators and become the nursery. Even young alligators spend their early life here in the mangroves.

The marshes are composed mostly of saw.grass, a tough grass that accepts salty or fresh water and again is home to the young life. Many fishes lay their eggs in these marshy areas. With oil penetrating these areas all life ceases. Economically the marsh which is home to shrimp breeding becomes a key factor for the livelihood of thousands of fishermen.

Since these vegetation forms are the key building blocks for life in the gulf there is worry for the future of this beautiful spot on the map. There seems to be no quick solution to the problem and frustration becomes panic. I wonder what mother nature thinks when she is attacked in such a brutal and insensitive manner. Again greed for the almighty dollar superseded the need for proper safeguards. Corners were cut and and in some places not activated as this tragedy not only cost precious lives but destroys the future for so many types of life.

We all see the tragic pictures of the birds but this is only the tip of the problem. This is not oil as we understand it to be but more like brownish peanut butter in its crude state. We hope that this disaster can be controlled before It gets any worse. Projections show the oil slick will escape the gulf and work its way along the east coast of the USA reaching Canada's Maritimes sometime in the future. There is something to be learned here as we in Canada just authorized drilling to be started off Newfoundland in conditions much more hazardous because of the challenges there. Storms, drilling at depths exceeding 8,000 feet, icebergs and other unknown difficulties make us a sure candidate for disaster.