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| (Halieutichthys intermedius) Image: Ho, Chakrabarty & Sparks (2010) | |
Researchers have reported the discovery of two previously unknown species of pancake batfishes. These fish species were discovered in an area of the Gulf of Mexico that is surrounded by oil from the Gulf oil spill. Batfish species derive their name from the way they use their fins to move along the sea floor. The motion is awkward and similar to that of a bat. The newly described batfishes live in more shallow waters than do other batfish species. They can be found along the Gulf coast and the southern Atlantic coast of the United States.
John Sparks, curator of Ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History states, "One of the fishes that we describe is completely restricted to the oil spill area. If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity, especially microdiversity, is out there that we do not know about." The oil spill is a serious threat to Gulf coast land biomes and aquatic communities. Scientists fear that the spill will lead to the loss of both known and unknown animal species.
Learn more about this study:
- Two New Species of Pancake Batfishes Discovered Science Daily
Comments
It is about time criminal actions are taken for reckless care of our Planet Earth. This should be extended for a criminal fine to the corporations who allowed the cutting of costs on proper supervision or equipment to result in the Gulf Spill. The Court should have required of BP directors that they contribute to community services in helping with the oil spill clean-up. It is not just money to be paid out, the duty was clean-up duties to educate them on why they should not put profits over duty of protection – to those who cannot advocate for themselves – the creatures living here, too, on Planet Earth.
Start speaking and thinking criminal actions, fines to socieities, associations, corporations whose directors and their employees are negligent. It may not have been delivberate – but the cause of the gulf spill had no preparation of ready back-ups.
That would have been all nations in oil production or transportation having a empty tanker with a vaccume and centrifugal machinery for separation of picked up oil. Where was this back up equipment, then and now?