# Marine life drops 60% after BP oil spill

> BP oil spill caused marine life to drop 60% in Gulf of Mexico for years.
- Title: Marine life drops 60% after BP oil spill · Seattletimes
- Summary: BP oil spill caused marine life to drop 60% in Gulf of Mexico for years. Marine life in Gulf of Mexico declined 60% after BP oil spill, with no recovery by…
- Keywords: gulf of mexico, bp oil spill, marine life, deepwater horizon, marine animals, fish population, crustaceans, squid, octopuses, krill, lanternfish, dragonfish
- Source: Seattletimes — https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/marine-life-dramatically-declined-in-gulf-of-mexico-in-years-after-bp-oil-spill-study-finds
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: gulf of mexico, bp oil spill, marine life, deepwater horizon, marine animals, fish population, crustaceans, squid, octopuses, krill, lanternfish, dragonfish
## Marine life plummeted 60%
A study found marine animals dropped 60% in Gulf of Mexico years after BP oil spill.

> We saw this big decline
## Fish and crustaceans fell 63.5% and 62%
Fish populations dropped 63.5% from 2011 to 2015, crustaceans fell 62%.
## No recovery by 2023
Populations haven’t recovered, with slight rises in 2022 and 2023 that weren’t statistically significant.
## Twilight zone study
Researchers studied the twilight zone, where most marine life feeds, using nets and sonar.
## Oil spill caused decline
Oil spill is the most likely cause of marine life decline, as other factors didn’t change.

> The event that did was the oil spill
## Krill and lanternfish dropped
Krill populations dropped 72%, lanternfish fell to a third of their original numbers.
## Deep ocean connections
The Gulf’s ocean is connected from top to bottom, with animals moving between depths.
## Whales and dolphins dropped 83%
Whales and dolphins dropped 83% in Gulf of Mexico after spill, according to 2024 study.
## Key takeaway

Marine life in Gulf of Mexico declined 60% after BP oil spill, with no recovery by 2023.