Three weeks after Deepwater Horizon sank as the result of an explosion two days earlier, more than 200,000 gallons of crude oil a day continues to erupt from the sea floor in the Gulf of Mexico. Though the full scope of the environmental and economic impacts are expected to be grim and enduring, we also know that the Gulf and its inhabitants are resilient. 

Three years after the second-largest oil release in history that spilled an estimated 140 million gallons of crude oil, there was little visible trace of the Ixtoc spill off the Mexican coast although sharp declines in ecological species were noted in the aftermath of the spill. Five years after Hurricane Katrina, the city of New Orleans as well as the region as a whole continues on the long road to recovery. 

Today, thousands of volunteers have joined up with local, state, and federal responders to mitigate the impact of the oil leak that President Obama said has the “potential to be an unprecedented environmental disaster.” It is clear from the experts that this leak will put more than 400 species in harm's way and could for decades alter the ecological landscape. It is also clear that the men and women who depend on the fisheries and tourism will be hit hard economically. But it is also clear that the ecological and economic challenges posed by the Deepwater Horizon oil leak will be met head on by the unprecedented resilience of the Gulf’s inhabitants.

Ky Luu

Executive Director, Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy