Researchers from the University of Miami discovered that mahi-mahi fish exposed to oil from the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon spill swam slower than their healthy counterparts by 50 percent.
To gather data for the study, the researchers exposed the embryos and the young mahi-mahi fish to oil collected from the wellhead and the surface of the gulf. Researchers then transferred the fish to individual tanks and measured their speed.
"The worry is that if you have reduced swimming performance you're going to be less effective at capturing prey, and less effective in avoiding (predators)," Martin Grosell, a professor at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, told Reuters.
Grosell also reported that the speed of the inch-long fish's naturally high speeds also decreased by as much as 37 percent.
The researchers stated that the oil used during the experiment was formulated to have a concentration level as close as possible to that of the oil found in the gulf a few days after the spill.
Grosell and his team partnered with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to study the effects of the oil spill, which reportedly lasted for 87 days. Ocean experts estimated that at least 4.9 million barrels of oil was dumped into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
On the other hand, BP issued a statement on Friday disputing the research.
"The oil concentrations used in these lab experiments were rarely seen in the gulf during or after the Deepwater Horizon accident," said Jason Ryan, a BP spokesman during an interview with the New York Times. "In addition, the authors themselves note that it is nearly impossible to determine the early-life impact to these species."
In March 2014, scientists from Stanford University and the University of Miami released their findings showing that exposure to the oil caused heart defects in the bluefin, yellowfin tuna and an amberjack species. The study was published in the journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
