Based on a latest study by University of Miami scientists, mahi-mahi, a popular fish among anglers and restaurants, are swimming slower than usual due to a BP oil spill that took place back in 2010. Apparently, these fishes are swimming at half of their usual speed, a problem that could prove disastrous.
Researchers treated mahi-mahi young fish and embryos with oil collected from gulf's surface and from a damaged wellhead. One by one, the researchers transferred mahi-mahi fishes to clean water for around 25 days or more. After this is done, the swim speed of the fishes is then tested to determine if they were affected by the oil spill.
According the study, the young mahi-mahi, which is considered the fastest on the planet, has seen a drop in swim speed. Martin Grosell, a professor at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, said speed "dropped by about 37 percent."
"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]," says Grosell.
Steve Branstetter, a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said that back in the year 2000, scientists have failed to count the number of dolphinfishes, also known as green-blue fish, living in Texas and the west coast of Florida.
The reason for this failure as per the agency's website is that no management of this species was ever needed, but it appears things have changed after the 2010 BP oil spill.
Following the disaster, Mr. Grosell and several scientists partnered with NOAA after the BP disaster. They studied the effect of the 4.9 million barrel oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that last around 87 days. Up to this day, that large amount of oil spill still has deadly effects on aquatic life, and there's no sign of an end in sight at the moment.
According to researchers, the oil concentrations used are similar to the one in the Gulf, something the BP oil company disputed.
"The study does not provide any evidence to show that an effect on that group of fish would have had a population-level impact," BP spokesman Ryan Jason said.
However, it was proven back in March that the oil spill caused heart deformation in some fishes, and could also be the problem behind low catch numbers when it came down to fishing.
