Louisiana Marshes

The marshes of Pass a Loutre, La., are covered with oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill.
Photo by Gerald Herbert, AP

David Schaper at NPR.org writes "Oil Cleanup Poses Risks In Fragile Louisiana Marshes," which is an excellent article.

"The thick oil can suffocate the canes, grasses and other flora, and toxins in the oil can also poison the plants, said Doug Inkley, a senior biologist with the National Wildlife Federation.

"'With this oil coming in, if it is severe enough to kill the plants entirely, then these plants are going to decay and basically you take away the entire root structure that helps support that soil, and with the waves and the weather coming in, virtually these wetlands disappear,' Inkley said."

I blogged about the disappearing marshland a few days ago, but that insight came from a book written even before Hurricane Katrina Bayou Farewell by Mike Tidwell. Now bayou disappearance seems much more likely and progressing faster (with the effects of the oil).

Go HERE to read (or listen to) the article mentioned above.