Blobs in crab larvae characteristic of dispersant

[Pathfinder]

Blobs in crab larvae characteristic of dispersant

Reported by: Shelley Brown, Weekend Anchor
Email: sbrown@fox8tv.net
Contributor: Tammie Mills, Photographer
Last Update: 7/30 11:24 pm

New findings back up the concern the dispersant BP used so widely may do more harm than the oil itself.

Researchers at Tulane say it appears they've detected a Corexit sort of fingerprint in the orange blobs found lodged in the bodies of tiny blue crab larvae collected from marshes that stretch from Texas to Florida. Researcher Erin Grey said the results, while not conclusive, are likely. She's waiting on two other independent tests.

On May 20, 2010, EPA administrator Lisa Jackson said, "this is unprecedented volumes of dispersants used so far" when talking about the chemical dispersant known as Corexit being used to break down oil in the Gulf of Mexico.

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http://www.fox8live.com/news/local/story/Blobs-in-crab-larvae-characteristic-of-dispersant/IJoKO4b-W0GsfjK1L_SkAQ.cspx

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Blobs in crab larvae characteristic of dispersant

Snipped from http://healthygulf.org/201007281450/...not-a-solution

Dispersants Part of the Problem for Gulf Wildlife, Not a Solution
Blog - BPs Oil Drilling Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico
Tuesday, 27 July 2010 00:00
Matthew Preusch


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As those eggs morph into larvae and then into tiny megalopae, they drift back into the coast. That's where Taylor and her fellow researchers have been intercepting them.

Looking at the megalopae under microscopes reveals that one out of every five has an orange droplet, Taylor said. The highest rate was near Pensacola, where about half of the megalopae had the droplets.

"I believe that the oil is going to cause a lot of mortality in the larvae that are still out there, so we're going to see a big drop in stocks in the next few years," Taylor said.
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http://healthygulf.org/201007281450/blog/bps-oil-drilling-disaster-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/dispersants-part-of-the-problem-for-gulf-wildlife-not-a-solution

Comment: Dr Caz Taylor is Assistant Professor of Population biology of migratory & invasive species, wetlands ecology, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Tulane University ? New Orleans, LA 70118-5698