“Yes, they will. There is PLENTY of data from multiple incidents that shows that ecological recovery is rapid.”
really, a 100 year old turtle is going to be born and grow old in the next 2 years? A 10 year old dolphin will suddenly be replaced?
Shellfish populations have been decimated. The oil has contaminated the sand surroudning their habitat. How will that subsurface oil evaporate or be cleaned out of the shellfish that have survived?
Modified harrows, drills, rototillers? Harvest only the smaller clams like they do now.
Replacements from unaffected areas will rapidly occupy the ecological niches by in-migration. Evidently, the total unaffected population is so large relative to the affected one that such in-migration decrease from the "supplying" population is lost in the statistics of natural population variability. This is one of the main reasons the EPA decided to allow the dispersant use. "In-migration" is obviously much faster offshore than on.
"Shellfish populations have been decimated. The oil has contaminated the sand surroudning their habitat. How will that subsurface oil evaporate or be cleaned out of the shellfish that have survived?"
If the oil is subsurface (below the soil/sea interface), then it can't affect the recovering shellfish, now can it?? And the oil will be cleaned out of the surviving shellfish by the same detoxification mechanism(s) that they use to handle natural oil at low levels.
Instead of making asinine comments, why don't you go and READ the actual science in the study.