(There is no link to this report.)

For weeks we have been talking about the oil leak at the bottom of the ocean and the oil slick on the top. But now, marine scientists are sounding the alarm about the middle, saying they believe that numerous huge invisible oil clouds or plumes are gathering in this area, threatening as much or more damage than all of the oil we've already seen at the surface. They say that while the oil is being dispersed it is not disappearing. According to Erik Cordes, a marine biologist at Temple, no one knows how large the plumes are; some believe they are up 10-20 miles long and 5-6 miles wide.