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Deepwater Horizon study finds Gulf of Mexico deep-sea life fell by about 60% and never recovered

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A new Deepwater Horizon study has found that the number of animals living in the deep, dark waters of the Gulf of Mexico fell by about 60 per cent in the years after the 2010 oil spill and has not recovered. The research was published in the journal PNAS on 19 October 2026, and the Associated Press and the University of South Florida reported the findings.

Deepwater Horizon: The northern Gulf of Mexico seen by NASA's Terra satellite on 24 May 2010, about a month after the Deepwater Horizon blowout
The northern Gulf of Mexico seen by NASA's Terra satellite on 24 May 2010, about a month after the Deepwater Horizon blowout Photo: NASA Worldview, EOSDIS (MODIS Terra imagery; public domain).

What the Deepwater Horizon study measured

Researchers studied the deep-pelagic zone, the vast “twilight zone” of open water between the sunlit surface and the sea floor, which makes up 90.4 per cent of the Gulf’s volume. From the year after the spill to 2015, the number of fish fell by 63.5 per cent, crustaceans such as shrimp and krill by 62 per cent, and larger animals such as squid and octopus by 59.7 per cent, AP reported. The study’s abstract says abundances fell by 60 to 85 per cent over three and a half years, depending on the group, with lanternfishes and krill-like euphausiids hit especially hard.

Key Facts

  • Published: PNAS, 19 October 2026
  • Fish: down 63.5%; crustaceans: 62%; squid and octopus: 59.7%
  • Overall decline: 60-85% over 3.5 years, by group
  • Zone studied: deep-pelagic layer, 90.4% of Gulf volume
  • No significant recovery through 2023

“The event that did was the oil spill.”

— Tracey Sutton, lead author, Nova Southeastern University

Why scientists point to the oil spill

A 2011 survey using six sets of nets at different depths and acoustic sonar gave a baseline down to about 5,000 feet. When the team returned with the same gear three and a half years later, sea life was between a third and a quarter of the earlier level, lead author Tracey Sutton of Nova Southeastern University told AP. “We looked at all of the natural variables we thought could account for it, namely temperature, oxygen supply and food. None of those vary with the decline. The event that did was the oil spill,” he said. The decline was seen in net catches, in sonar data and in genetic tests showing a loss of diversity. The authors say it is the fastest and most severe decline reported for the deep-pelagic biome, larger than any seen over 60 years in the California Current.

Gulf of Mexico oil spill legacy, 16 years on

The 2010 blowout of the BP-operated well killed 11 workers and released about 134 million gallons of oil, AP said. Sampling since 2015 has shown populations staying low, with a slight rise in 2022 and 2023 that was not statistically significant. Co-author Isabel Romero of the University of South Carolina said both the oil and the dispersants used in the clean-up harmed fish in different ways. The study notes that whales and other protected species that feed on deep-sea prey show similar trends. BP spokesperson Paul Takahashi told AP the accident “forever changed” the company and that it has made many changes to help prevent a repeat.

Why It Matters: The deep twilight zone feeds whales, dolphins and fish that people catch. A lasting collapse there shows how long major spills can harm ocean food webs.

Also on TrendDesh: Henderson Fire at Camp Pendleton reaches 65% containment after burning 3,160 acres and closing I-5 · El Nino 2026: NASA satellites track what may be the strongest El Nino since 1950

Source: PNAS study · AP via NBC News · University of South Florida · AP News

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