Northern Gulf of Mexico

The largest oil spill in U.S. history impacted coastal beaches and marshes, all the way to the deepest parts of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the fish and wildlife that call those habitats home.

The Deepwater Horizon spill affected a broad array of linked resources and ecological services over a large area. The impact can best be described as an injury to the entire ecosystem of the northern Gulf of Mexico. It affected habitat at the coast, off the shore, and at the bottom of the Gulf. It affected species like fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, birds and deep sea coral. It also affected our ability to go fishing, boating and other recreation.