Oil Spill Picture Gallery

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill was a sight to see, both above and below the water. This gallery offers images of that tragedy.

Dr. Joye studies oil plume data. 5.26.2010

Oil on bottom of boat after being in water. 5.26.2010

Small boat to reboard R/V Walton Smith. 5.27.2010

A pod of dolphins entertain the science party while in transit to the oil-impacted area, where there were no dolphins. 5.28.2010

Oil is churned up in the wake of the ship. 5.28.2010

A pod of dolphins lead the R/V Walton Smith during its transit to the oil-impacted area, where there were no dolphins. 5.28.2010

A bucket is used to get a grab sample of oil. 5.29.2010

A city of ships about 7 miles away from the R/V Walton Smith. 5.30.2010

Raindrops fall on a thin oil layer, called rainbow sheen, following the Deepwater Horizon/Macondo well blowout. 5.30.2010

This ROV tender ship works in the oil recovery area. 5.31.2010

Multiple fires burn surface oil. 5.31.2010

A bucket of thick oil retrieved from water next to the R/V Walton Smith. 5.31.2010

Haz mat suits and masks shield science team members from the toxic air. 5.31.2010

The Discoverer Enterprise, the Transocean multipurpose drillship that rises higher in this image than the surrounding ships, guides capping operations. Development Driller II, the relief-well drilling platform, is to the far right. 5.31.2010

Ships and Development Driller II at dusk. 5.31.2010

Nights falls on the city of ships. 5.31.2010

A bit of fun in the ship's lab. 6.1.2010

Tired scientists after 10 days of intense work are happy to be on the home stretch. 6.1.2010

No rest for the weary when the media is on-board. 6.1.2010

The live data feed of the oil plume on the computer screen interest the media. 6.1.2010

A multi-service (supply) vessel or ROV tender ship. 6.1.2010

Discoverer Enterprise guides capping operations. 6.1.2010

Operations around Development Driller II. 6.1.2010

Science party on R/V Walton Smith for May-June research cruise. 6.1.2010

City of ships and relief well drilling rigs. 6.2.2010

The science party watches the live data feed from the CTD as it dives through the oil plume. 6.2.2010

Containment booms and fires used for clean-up. 6.2.2010

Dr. Joye explains the data on the screen to the media. 6.2.2010

The oiled loon is helped on board the R/V Walton Smith for a clean up. 6.2.2010

A BP "rescue" boat picks up the oiled loon. 6.2.2010

Discoverer Enterprise shoots flames from burning off gas. 6.4.2010

Gas flames from the Discoverer Enterprise operations. 6.5.2010

A multi-service (supply) vessel or ROV tender ship. 6.4.2010

Development Driller II, drills a relief well. 6.5.2010

Why the Oceans Matter

From National Geographic

These vast bodies of water surrounding the continents are critical to humankind. But overfishing and global warming threaten to leave this vital habitat barren.

The ocean is a continuous body of saltwater that covers more than 70 percent of the Earth's surface. Ocean currents govern the world's weather and churn a kaleidoscope of life. Humans depend on these teeming waters for comfort and survival, but global warming and overfishing threaten to leave the ocean agitated and empty.

Geographers divide the ocean into four major sections: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic. Smaller ocean regions are called seas, gulfs, and bays, such as the Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the Bay of Bengal. Stand-alone bodies of saltwater like the Caspian Sea and the Great Salt Lake are distinct from the world's oceans.

The oceans hold about 320 million cubic miles (1.35 billion cubic kilometers) of water, which is roughly 97 percent of Earth's water supply. The water is about 3.5 percent salt and contains traces of all chemical elements found on Earth. The oceans absorb the sun's heat, transferring it to the atmosphere and distributing it around the world via the ever-moving ocean currents. This drives global weather patterns and acts as a heater in the winter and an air conditioner in the summer.

Life began in the ocean, and the ocean remains home to the majority of Earth's plants and animals—from tiny single-celled organisms to the blue whale, the planet's largest living animal.

Most of the ocean's plant life consists of microscopic algae called phytoplankton that float at the surface and through photosynthesis produce about half of the oxygen that humans and all other terrestrial creatures breathe. Seaweed and kelp are big algae easily visible to the naked eye. Marine plants with roots, like seagrasses, can only survive as deep as the sun’s rays can support photosynthesis—about 650 feet (200 meters). Nearly half of the ocean is more than 9,800 feet (3,000 meters) deep.

The deepest reaches of the ocean are largely devoid of life, but biological hotspots appear around places like hydrothermal vents. These chimney-like structures spew gases and mineral-rich water from beneath the Earth's crust. Tube worms, clams, and mussels gather around the vents to feed on heat-loving bacteria. Bizarre fish with sensitive eyes, translucent fangs, and bioluminescent lures lurk about in nearby waters.

Other fish, octopuses, squid, eels, dolphins, and whales ply the open waters while crabs, lobsters, starfish, oysters, and snails crawl and scoot along the ocean bottom. Creatures like jellyfish lack their own way to get around and are mostly left to the whim of the wind and currents. Mammals like otters, walruses, and even polar bears also depend on the ocean for their survival and dip in and out as their biology requires.

Colonies of polyps form coral reefs as they die. The reefs are mostly found in shallow tropical waters and are home to a brilliant mosaic of polyps, plants, and fish. Coral reefs are also visible victims of human activity. Global warming, siltation, pollution, and other phenomena are stressing the corals to death, and overzealous fishers net more food than the reefs can restore.