Scientists lower Gulf of Mexico's health grade

[Uncle Jesse]

Scientists lower Gulf of Mexico's health grade
By The Associated Press The Associated Press 2 hrs 41 mins ago
Scientists who study the Gulf of Mexico say its ecological health has declined, though not dramatically, since the BP oil spill. In an informal survey for The Associated Press, 75 scientists offered baseline pre-spill grades on a scale of 0 to 100 in July, with 100 being pristine.

The AP repeated the survey for the same categories in October, six months after the April 20 BP rig explosion. This time 35 scientists responded.

Overall Gulf health Pre-spill: 71 October: 65
Oysters Pre-spill: 64 October: 53
Crabs Pre-spill: 68 October: 59
Sea floor Pre-spill: 68 October: 61
Wetlands Pre-spill: 65 October: 60
Sea Turtles Pre-spill: 57 October: 53
Birds Pre-spill: 76 October: 73
Beaches Pre-spill: 74 October: 72