Ecosystem faces critical stress following oil spill

The sight of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico has put officials on high alert and many people on edge. The possible economic impact of the spill is just part of the fear.

Kamran Abdollahi, a longtime professor at Southern University said the state's ecosystem could be dealt quite a blow. (Click here to see interview)

"The ecosystem has been experiencing multiple stressors," said Abdollahi. "It's been under stress from climatic conditions and also by the fact that we are losing our coastal wetlands."

Abdollahi said this spill could be even more devastating to the ecosystem than a hurricane, depending on how much oil gets into coastal waters.

"If we look at the food chain, the phytoplanktons would be impacted directly from the toxicity from the oil," said Abdollahi.

As rescuers save animals like a seabird recently found covered in oil, Abdollahi is looking at the bigger picture. He is concerned about the organisms on the lower end of the food chain, like algae. He said the oil spill could wipe out the food birds depend on.

"We are sensing an urgent need for us not only to deal with this immediate scenario, but also go back and look at our plans. What we do or do not have in place that we need to incorporate," said Abdollahi.

He, along with a group of scientists from Southern University's Agricultural Research and Extension Center, plan to go to New Orleans next week, where they will monitor the residual impacts of the oil spill.

By Keitha Nelson, WAFB Reporter

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