Skip to content

Southern Fried Science

Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online

  • Home
  • About SFS
  • Authors
  • Support SFS

One way an oil rig’s blowout preventer can fail

Posted on May 3, 2010May 4, 2010 By Andrew Thaler 5 Comments on One way an oil rig’s blowout preventer can fail
Science

There’s not much more to say other than blue marlin bill fish caught in oil rig blowout preventer.

Several people have asked why we aren’t blogging about the oil spill. The simple answer is that the Deep Sea News crew has done such an awesome job there’s not much more for us to add.

H/T Underwater Thrills

~Southern Fried Scientist

Please note: this is not taken from the well currently destroying the Gulf Coast.

Share this:

  • Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon

Related

Tags: Blue Marlin Deep Sea News drill baby drill Oil Rig

Post navigation

❮ Previous Post: Monday Morning Blogaerobics – Black Gold and Bad Genes
Next Post: Hawaii shark fin bill passes! ❯

You may also like

Weekly Salvage
5000 dives under the sea, plastic nomming fungi, scanning Belize’s Blue Hole, the thawing Northwest Passage, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: December 3, 2018.
December 3, 2018
Weekly Salvage
#JacquesWeek, Lionfish tax, coral that glows, accelerating climate change, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: July 10, 2017
July 10, 2017
Weekly Salvage
Monday Morning Salvage: November 28, 2016
November 28, 2016
Weekly Salvage
Parasitic barnacles, a code of conduct for marine conservation, #BillMeetScienceTwitter, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: May 22, 2017.
May 22, 2017

5 thoughts on “One way an oil rig’s blowout preventer can fail”

  1. Kevin Z says:
    May 3, 2010 at 9:00 pm

    Holy shit! What a whacked out Marlin! Great find.

    Must have been seriously disoriented or maybe it was trying to sabotage the rig…

  2. Dashark says:
    May 3, 2010 at 10:59 pm

    Great video – but that’s a Swordfish, not a Blue Marlin.

  3. tim says:
    May 8, 2010 at 11:37 am

    Kudos to the crew for attempting to save the marine life, though one would hope that future designs would address issues such as these. Also, this really highlights the limitation of animals that can’t move backwards (which, if you’re one of the fastest swimming animals in the world, probably might be a decent tradeoff)

  4. Callin McLaughlin says:
    June 4, 2010 at 2:52 pm

    I have just one question!! Why is there no manual shut off rams on these underwater BOPs?? Every land rig, I worked on, in the williston basin, had two manual hand crank valves, for the final backup. Certainly, after watching the videos, a ram, could be designed, and with torque multipliers on the robots, and the bops, that could easily snip the pipe, and seal the well…I am truly mystified at this….anyone have any answers!!??

Comments are closed.

Popular Posts

What Ocean Ramsey does is not shark science or conservation: some brief thoughts on "the Shark Whisperer" documentaryWhat Ocean Ramsey does is not shark science or conservation: some brief thoughts on "the Shark Whisperer" documentaryJuly 2, 2025David Shiffman
Here's how to join my IMCC8 symposium, "Ocean Science Communication: What's New and What's Next?"Here's how to join my IMCC8 symposium, "Ocean Science Communication: What's New and What's Next?"April 22, 2026David Shiffman
That's not a blobfish: Deep Sea Social Media is Flooded by AI SlopThat's not a blobfish: Deep Sea Social Media is Flooded by AI SlopDecember 19, 2025Andrew Thaler
What is a Sand Shark?What is a Sand Shark?November 12, 2017Chuck Bangley
Fun facts and FAQs about Megalodon, Maryland's new (and definitely extinct) official state sharkFun facts and FAQs about Megalodon, Maryland's new (and definitely extinct) official state sharkApril 15, 2026David Shiffman
Here are some ocean conservation technologies that I'm excited aboutHere are some ocean conservation technologies that I'm excited aboutFebruary 19, 2026David Shiffman
Reflections on science and my role in it, ten years since my Ph.D. defenseReflections on science and my role in it, ten years since my Ph.D. defenseApril 1, 2026David Shiffman
Join Me at Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice — Our Fourth Year!Join Me at Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice — Our Fourth Year!March 24, 2026Angelo Villagomez
Here's what I teach my students about finding jobs in marine biology and conservationHere's what I teach my students about finding jobs in marine biology and conservationApril 10, 2024David Shiffman
Urea and Shark OsmoregulationUrea and Shark OsmoregulationNovember 15, 2010David Shiffman
Subscribe to our RSS Feed for updates whenever new articles are published.

We recommend Feedly for RSS management. It's like Google Reader, except it still exists.

Southern Fried Science

  • Home
  • About SFS
  • Authors
  • Support SFS


If you enjoy Southern Fried Science, consider contributing to our Patreon campaign.

Copyright © 2026 Southern Fried Science.

Theme: Oceanly Premium by ScriptsTown