An explosion in oil-munching bacteria made fast work of BP oil spill, scientist says

[Harmony Blue]

9. Further down the article he said this:

"While the rapid disappearance of oil was a largely positive sign, Hazen said it’s still unclear whether the explosion in growth of a few oil-eating bacteria types might have itself disrupted the deepwater Gulf ecosystem. Meanwhile, oil that came to the surface also rapidly exhausted available nutrients, competing with naturally-occurring algae in the warm Gulf waters, he said.

Scientists also are unsure whether the oil and its cleanup directly affected the ecosystem before it was biodegraded and dispersed, he said.

Also unanswered, Hazen said, is how resilient the Gulf is to future combinations of hurricanes, oil spills, floodwaters from the Midwest, and the industrial and human wastes entering the Gulf from the Mississippi and other rivers"

Science isn't about a yes or no answer that can be easily packaged. It is multi faceted and complex.