By 3 September 2009, fishers observed sick and dying marine life, and an absence of birds in the spill area.

In another example, a CBS News crew was denied access to the oil-covered beaches of the spill area.

The spill area hosted 8,332 species, including more than 1,200 fish, 200 birds, 1,400 molluscs, 1,500 crustaceans, 4 sea turtles and 29 marine mammals.

The higher than expected numbers of animals found may be caused in part by the increased number of workers evaluating the spill area.

With that money held up, the fishermen of the spill area remain partly uncompensated for their still diminished catches.

Corals in the spill area were dying, he said, but corals elsewhere were dying, too.

A gale that blew through the spill area Monday and Tuesday offered the first test of how the oil would behave in rough weather.

Several search parties have been sent to the spill area to attempt to find the potentially explosive materials that were in the 31 containers.

And heaven help ship travel in the spill area.

Feinberg pointed out that those closest to the spill area were the most likely to receive compensation.