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The Nature Conservancy  to me

show details 2:23 PM (14 hours ago)

Dear John Maccabe,
Thank you for the outpouring of concern during this time. The first waves of oil started to come ashore here on Friday around noon, approximately 45 miles south of New Orleans on the Mississippi River.
Conditions along the coast since Thursday’s nightfall have not been conducive to doing a lot of preventative work — the seas are running six to eight feet high, and that plus an abnormally high tide has made it basically impossible for the responders to deploy the booms that would contain the slick.
I think about how last week’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill off the coast of Louisiana is going to affect one of the most treasured ecological landscapes in North America and the people who depend on it and my heart sinks.
We are putting to work all of The Nature Conservancy’s best knowledge and expertise in this region. Thanks to the support of caring members like you, we have tremendous science expertise and data to lend to efforts in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and other states surrounding the Gulf of Mexico.
We have placed our shellfish restoration team at the disposal of the U.S. Department of Interior and other federal agencies to try to prevent impacts where we can, assess damage where it’s occurring and figure out how to restore as many of these natural areas as possible.
View this map to learn more about the relevance of shellfish ecosystems and the essential role they play in providing a healthy marine ecosystem for our natural world and for so many local fisherman and businesses.
Although it’s just hitting the coast and will be weeks before we’re able to fully assess the impacts of this oil spill, I want you to know we’re doing everything possible to contribute to an effective response.
Thank you again for all your concern and support. I hope you will read our blog and visit our web site to keep updated on our latest progress.
Sincerely,