Geoscientists offer an explanation for why the Deepwater Horizon oil spill didn’t have the environmental impact that many had feared. Using publicly available datasets, their study reveals that the force of the Mississippi River emptying into the Gulf of Mexico created mounds of freshwater which pushed the oil slick off shore.

Cities in both, the US and Europe harbor more plant species than rural areas. However, plant species of urban areas are more closely related to each other and often share similar functions. Consequently, urban ecosystems should be more sensitive towards environmental impacts than rural ecosystems.