344
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
S. A. Murawski et al. (eds.), Deep Oil Spills,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11605-7_21
Chapter 21
Overview of Ecological Impacts of Deep
Spills: Deepwater Horizon
Christopher G. Lewis and Robert W. Ricker
Abstract This chapter provides a general introduction to Part V: Impacts of Deep
Spills on Plankton, Fishes, and Protected Resources. As a general overview of ecological impacts of deep spills, it orients the reader to the deep sea environment and
resources potentially at risk from petroleum releases at depth, and sets the stage for
subsequent chapters presenting findings from investigations of specific biological
resources. Much of what is known about impacts from deep spills stems from the
significant body of research performed in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill. Therefore, this chapter provides: an explanation of the regulatory and legal
context for much of the deep sea research conducted post-spill, an overarching
ecosystem- level perspective of recorded impacts, and insights gained on the part of
the authors from overseeing government-funded investigative work to assess injuries to deep sea natural resources in the context of the natural resource damage
assessment process. Key findings indicate that pathways of resource injury were
multiple and varied, exposure to oil was patchy, a broad range of organisms were
harmed by (though some benefitted from) the spill, impact severity decreased with
increasing distance from the well head, and subtle and longer term injuries were
difficult to identify. Significant gaps in our understanding of the effects of deep-sea
oil spills remain, and stem primarily from logistical, technical, and funding constraints on our ability to conduct deep sea research.
Keywords Natural resource damage assessment · NRDA · Deepwater Horizon oil
spill · Responsible party · Trustees · Marine snow · Conceptual models
C. G. Lewis (*)
Industrial Economics, Incorporated, Cambridge, MA, USA
e-mail: CLewis@indecon.com
R. W. Ricker
Formerly National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Response
and Restoration, Assessment and Restoration Division, Silver Spring, MD, USA
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
S. A. Murawski et al. (eds.), Deep Oil Spills,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11605-7_21
Chapter 21
Overview of Ecological Impacts of Deep
Spills: Deepwater Horizon
Christopher G. Lewis and Robert W. Ricker
Abstract This chapter provides a general introduction to Part V: Impacts of Deep
Spills on Plankton, Fishes, and Protected Resources. As a general overview of ecological impacts of deep spills, it orients the reader to the deep sea environment and
resources potentially at risk from petroleum releases at depth, and sets the stage for
subsequent chapters presenting findings from investigations of specific biological
resources. Much of what is known about impacts from deep spills stems from the
significant body of research performed in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill. Therefore, this chapter provides: an explanation of the regulatory and legal
context for much of the deep sea research conducted post-spill, an overarching
ecosystem- level perspective of recorded impacts, and insights gained on the part of
the authors from overseeing government-funded investigative work to assess injuries to deep sea natural resources in the context of the natural resource damage
assessment process. Key findings indicate that pathways of resource injury were
multiple and varied, exposure to oil was patchy, a broad range of organisms were
harmed by (though some benefitted from) the spill, impact severity decreased with
increasing distance from the well head, and subtle and longer term injuries were
difficult to identify. Significant gaps in our understanding of the effects of deep-sea
oil spills remain, and stem primarily from logistical, technical, and funding constraints on our ability to conduct deep sea research.
Keywords Natural resource damage assessment · NRDA · Deepwater Horizon oil
spill · Responsible party · Trustees · Marine snow · Conceptual models
C. G. Lewis (*)
Industrial Economics, Incorporated, Cambridge, MA, USA
e-mail: CLewis@indecon.com
R. W. Ricker
Formerly National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Response
and Restoration, Assessment and Restoration Division, Silver Spring, MD, USA