Analysis of hopanoid petroleum biomarkers isolated from the floc provides strong evidence that this material contained oil from the Macondo well.
The presence of recently damaged and deceased corals beneath the path of a previously documented
plume emanating from the Macondo well provides compelling evidence that the oil impacted deep-water ecosystems.
Our findings underscore the unprecedented nature of the spill in terms of its magnitude,
release at depth, and impact to deep-water ecosystems.