Five Years Later: An Update on the Status of Collections of Endemic Gulf of Mexico Fishes Put at Risk by the 2010 Oil Spill

BACKGROUND The 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill took place over 180,000 square kilometers during a 12-week period over five years ago; however, this event continues to influence the development and distribution of organisms in and around the region of the disaster. Here we examine fish species that may have been most affected by noting their past distribution in the region of the spill and examining data of known collecting events over the last 10 years (five years prior to the spill, five years post spill). NEW INFORMATION We found that more than half of the endemic fish species of the Gulf (45 of 77).