The spillage of oil into the Gulf of Mexico continues unabated, though to date it has not hit the coast on a large scale. The effects are likely to be devastating – to wildlife certainly, but there will also be damage to commerce, as shipping is disrupted. Engineers work heroically to try and stop the spillage, while scientists raise worries about cleanup operations. Meanwhile the local fishermen start to map how the spill is effecting them. Fossil fuels are valuable, but they are also expensive…

Oil spill cleanup worries: Wetland experts are saying that the detergents used in cleanup operations may cause more damage to coastal wetlands and beaches than the oil spill itself. From ScienceDaily (May 4, 2010). Alternative bioremediation strategies have been put forward. ScienceDaily (May 4, 2010).

Satellites monitor oil spill movement: Fears grow that the slick may soon enter the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico, and so threaten the Florida Keys. From ScienceDaily (May 5, 2010)

Oil spill disrupts shipping channels: Seventy percent of all US shipping goes through the Port of New Orleans, which is currenty rather difficult to get to due to the slick and the booms intended to contain it. From ScienceDaily (May 5, 2010).

Oil spill engineering overview: Booms, dispersants and a giant dome that has to be lowered through 5000 feet of water to cap the oil leak. From Google hosted news/Associated Press.

Kenyan web tool helps fishermen map oil spill problems: A free mapping application, originally developed in Kenya to map political violence, has found a new use in the Gulf, allowing fishermen to report the position of the oil spill and its effects ‘on the ground’. The mapping software allows reports to be made by SMS-text, email or through a web form. From BBC News 5 May 2010

You can track the spill and its effects through Google Maps: Link