9781422285589

Chapter One FORMATION AND LOCATION F or years, Darren Stander worked alongside several other fishermen plying the waters of the Gulf of Words to Understand

condensation: process by which water vapor loses its heat and changes into a liquid. estuary: a body of water where freshwater meets the sea. habitats: environments for animals and plants. oozes: deep sea sediments. salinity: amount of salt in a substance. tectonic plates: landmasses that float on Earth’s crust.

Mexico searching for crabs and oysters. Everyone made a good living. That all changed in 2010, when one of the worst marine disasters in US history rocked the Gulf of Mexico. On April 20, a massive explosion onboard an oil-drilling platform killed 11 workers and caused 210 million gallons (almost 800 million liters) of crude oil to spill into the water.

9