From Scientific American and Reuters July 13, 2010 Click anywhere below to get to this short, easy to read story. Unlike BP's, natural oil seeps can help sea life Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent Some marine life thrives on oil bubbling up naturally from the seabed even though it cannot cope with giant single leaks like from BP's ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico, experts say. Natural seeps from thousands of spots from the Pacific Ocean to the North Sea account for about 45 percent of all oil entering the oceans in a typical year, according to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. The rest is from leaks caused by people. The little-understood seeps show that the oceans can absorb what is normally viewed as harmful pollution -- a host of microbes can eat oil and gas, especially light compounds such as gasoline, while finding thicker tars indigestible. Tags: Reading on a Saturday MorningOil spillJust Thinking ChronologyBP Log in or register to post comments