Oil plume nears West Florida Shelf fishing ground

[kpete]

Source: Herald Tribune

Oil plume nears West Florida Shelf fishing ground

By Kate Spinner

Published: Friday, May 21, 2010 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 10:14 p.m.

A mass of water suspected to contain a subsurface mixture of oil and toxic chemical dispersants has already reached the outer edge of the West Florida shelf, according to a respected oceanographer.

The report came Thursday evening from Mitchell Roffer, a biological oceanographer who has been tracking water masses as a private consultant since 1986. He also publishes a popular fishing forecast based on the movement of water in the ocean.

The West Florida shelf runs parallel to the state's coast and extends to about 150 miles. The plume is located at the edge of the shelf, west of Sarasota at about 27 degrees north latitude and 85 degrees west longitude.

Roffer has been following plumes of water trailing from the Deepwater Horizon rig operated by BP since it exploded and sank a month ago.

Read more: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100521/ARTICLE/5211044/2055/NEWS?Title=Oil-plume-nears-West-Florida-Shelf-fishing-ground

[asjr]

1. Is it going up the west coast? My sister lives

in Clearwater.

[HooptieWagon]

7. It would take many days of continuous strong westerly winds to get here. n/t

[ixion]

2. Gee, thanks a pantload, BP.

I really can't describe me anger at this. :argh:

[Uncle Joe]

3. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[bunny planet]

4. goodbye my little pink house

morgage was under water before, now it' under oil.

[Juneboarder]

5. How sad...

:cry:

[femmedem]

6. Each piece of news hurts like the first.

My parents live on the west coast of FL, near Naples. I know it's small compared to the loss of an ecosystem, but I feel so badly for them.