| Published: | Oct 18, 2010 7:34 PM EDT |
| Updated: | Oct 18, 2010 4:34 PM EDT |
Scientists who study the Gulf of Mexico say its ecological health has declined, though not dramatically, since the BP oil spill. In an informal survey for The Associated Press, 75 scientists offered baseline pre-spill grades on a scale of 0 to 100 in July, with 100 being pristine.
The AP repeated the survey for the same categories in October, six months after the April 20 BP rig explosion. This time 35 scientists responded.
Overall Gulf health:
Pre-spill: 71
October: 65
Oysters
Pre-spill: 64
October: 53
Crabs
Pre-spill: 68
October: 59
Sea floor
Pre-spill: 68
October: 61
Wetlands
Pre-spill: 65
October: 60
Sea Turtles
Pre-spill: 57
October: 53
Birds
Pre-spill: 76
October: 73
Beaches
Pre-spill: 74
October: 72
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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