A science blog with Eric Berger  Debunking the myth that natural
seeps are just as bad as the Deepwater spill   Oil in the Gulf
of Mexico is nothing new. There’s always oil in the Gulf,
primarily due to the action of natural seeps.  These occur when
there are geological fissures that allow oil to seep into the
water, and such seeps can be near the shore or in deep water.
The best estimates, says Larry McKinney, executive director of
the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, are
that natural seeps release about 560,000 to 1.4 million barrels
a year across the Gulf.  That breaks down to about 1,500 to
3,800 barrels a day, which is roughly one-fifth of the 12,000
and 19,000 barrels per day being released by the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill.  The magnitude of the Deepwater spill is not
so crucial as its concentration. Were it diffused like the
natural seeps over the entire Gulf, there is a natural mechanism
for coping with oil.  “The natural seeps are spread over a huge
area,” McKinney said. “Becaus