Kathryn Bursch
Source: 10 Connects [1]
May 4, 2010

St. Petersburg, Florida - While the oil spill continues to grow, so does concern for one of Florida's most fragile ecosystems—the delicate coral reefs that line the Florida Keys.

"Large amounts of oil over a period of time will kill the coral," says coral researcher and consultant Walter Jaap. Jaap spent 35 years studying coral in the Keys for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

If oil enters the loop current, it could coat coral and once that happens, Jaap says cleanup is not an option. "The heavy oils would stick and adhere to this and just cover it over like paint," he says while holding a large coral display. "And it would be almost impossible to get it out of there. There's really no effective way of doing that."

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