Expeditions:First Underwater Scenes of Oil

Dive under water with the Ocean Futures Team as they become the first to dive in and document the oil covered waters off the coast of Louisiana.

The Ocean Futures Expedition Team discovered this massive oil slick just 24 miles off the coast of Venice, Louisiana. The oil stretched as far as the eye could see and down to about 15 to 25 feet deep. Amongst the muck swims a Portuguese Man 'o War (which resembles a jellyfish but is actually a siphonophore) and a small fish that swims alongside for protection. The Team is encountering many floating globs of rust colored oil, dark black fresh crude and oily surfaces as they explore the coast.