[X0d1@k]

That is to mean death to us all? Ok, im trying to understand how this works, in light of the eco-catastrophe happening in the Gulf of Mexico. Sooo, if the lowest animal on the food chain in the ocean dies, plankton, then it will set up a chain reaction that kills human beings. How is this possible? What if you dont eat any seafood. I can see how it can disrupt the food tables of MANY people, but not the end of mankind right?

I read a few stories about this disaster in the gulf, and how the leaks are pushing out 2.5 gallons a second. I also read that it only takes a quart of oil to pollute 250,000 gallons of seawater to the point no sea creatures can live in it. Soooo, do the math and figure out how many gallons of seawater are now polluted. They havent yet capped the leaks, so add a few more hundred thousand gallons. I understand the ocean is pretty big, but thats alot of ocean that is now as likely to support life as the surface of Mars.

Anyways, if anyone can add anything to this, please feel freee in clearing up anything i have posted that is incorrect.

Also, in addition to this catastrophe, the guardian posted an interesting story on honeybees.

"The latest findings show that a third of the US honeybee population has perished as scientists are still flummoxed in their efforts to find a cause for the unfolding eco-catastrophe.

About 33.8 percent of US honeybees have died off during the past winter, decimating the country's 2.4 million beehives for the fourth consecutive year, the British daily The Guardian reported on Sunday."

Should mankind be planting gardens and hoarding canned meats and beans? Not to sound like an alarmist, but if you eliminate both honey bees and plankton, doesnt look so cheery.

Not to sound like an alarmist by any means, but i am concerned. I dont think i have my facts wrong, but that could very well be a possibility. Thanks guys/gals!

[Archer0915]

Hell I think you may be on to something. I have plenty of shells, bullets and powder just need some primers however my 22LR and magnum stock in a little low I am getting ready.

But seriously though. If the waters were not over-fished as they are it would be worse. We would have massive fish kills and the like. What I see as the problem is continued over fishing.

I think we will kill ourselves soon anyway so I am not going to worry about it. How it happens is just a side note in the demise of the human species.

[FireMogle]

The big thing to point out is that it is not really accurate to think of the "food chain" rather than a "food web." So in that regard, there is not really one thing on the bottom, just primary producers.

Depending on the location the primary producer may be different. So in the particular ecosystem of the gulf, if all the primary producers died then that ecosystem would then die off.

[jarlmaster47]

you guys seem to forget one important thing. oil floats. because of its non-polar structure relative to a polar substance like water they are not miscible and hence the oil becomes a suspension. plankton and other primary producers of the ocean live in the photic zone about 25-50m below the surface where they can absorb the greatest amount of sunlight. light can penetrate oil enough that the plankton will still receive sunlight but in lower volumes. the biggest problem with oil is animals getting stuck in it, choking on it, and drowning in it. Plankton populations have decreased but not alarmingly so. The only outcome of this catastrophe for humans will be RIDICULOUSLY increased fish prices and lower availability of fish. Also people will hate BP like they do Exxon