The impact of chemical dispersants on deepwater ecology is unclear.
link: Obama Warns of Wide Damage from Oil Spill - NYTimes.com
But:
“There is a chemical toxicity to the dispersant compound that in many ways is worse than oil,” said Richard Charter, a foremost expert on marine biology and oil spills who is a senior policy advisor for Marine Programs for Defenders of Wildlife and is chairman of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council. “It’s a trade off – you’re damned if you do damned if you don’t -- of trying to minimize the damage coming to shore, but in so doing you may be more seriously damaging the ecosystem offshore.”
link: Antemedius
The purpose of the chemical dispersants is to get the oil out of sight - keep it underwater where it, and the damage it causes, can't be seen.
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