Read the excerpt from "Blue Crabs Provide Evidence of Oil Tainting Gulf Food Web" by John Flesher of the Associated Press (2010)
: Weeks ago, before engineers pumped mud and cement to plug the gusher, scientists began finding specks of oil in crab larvae plucked from waters
across the Gulf coast.
The government said last week that three-quarters of the spilled oil has been removed or naturally dissipated from the water. But the crab larvae
discovery was an ominous sign that crude had already infiltrated the Gulf's vast food web-and could affect it for years to come.
"It would suggest the oil has reached a position where it can start moving up the food chain instead of just hanging in the water," said Bob Thomas, a
biologist at Loyola University in New Orleans. "Something likely will eat those oiled larvae... and then that animal will be eaten by something bigger and son on."
Which central idea is supported by the excerpt below:
"But what's going to happen next year, if this water is polluted and it's killing the eggs and larvae? I think it's going to be a long-term problem."
•Other organisms in the Gulf waters feed on the larvae of blue crabs.
•Most of the pilled oil that contaminated the Gulf waters recently has been cleaned up.
•Scientists recently discovered oil droplets on blue crab larvae in waters along the Gulf coast.
•Scientists fear long-term negative effects on Gulf coast organisms from contaminated blue crab larvae.
