The Damage Is Already Done

Wildlife along the Gulf Coast is already showing signs of severe ecological stress.

Dolphins and sharks are showing up in surprisingly shallow water just off the Florida coast. Mullets, crabs, rays and small fish congregate by the thousands off an Alabama pier. Birds covered in oil are crawling deep into marshes, never to be seen again.

Marine scientists studying the effects of the BP disaster are seeing some strange — and troubling — phenomena.

Fish and other wildlife are fleeing the oil out in the Gulf and clustering in cleaner waters along the coast. But that is not the hopeful sign it might appear to be, researchers say.

The animals' presence close to shore means their usual habitat is badly polluted, and the crowding could result in mass die-offs as fish run out of oxygen. Also, the animals could easily get devoured by predators.

"A parallel would be: Why are the wildlife running to the edge of a forest on fire? There will be a lot of fish, sharks, turtles trying to get out of this water they detect is not suitable," said Larry Crowder, a Duke University marine biologist.

Only in this case, the "forest on fire" is tens of thousands of square miles of hopelessly polluted ocean.  This nightmare scenario is happening in real time, folks.  Dead zones, destroyed marine and bird species, wrecked wetlands, all leading up to an ecosystem that will be devastated for decades.  We made our choices on oil and clean energy.  We made our choices on cars and trucks.  We said "We don't care. It's my right to burn as much oil as I want to pay for."

A little something extra just got added to the bill.  Gratis.