Massive Molasses Spill Devastates Honolulu Marine Life

[Hannibal]

Not sure if this was posted or not but figured I would share for those of you who may have missed it. Such a tragedy...

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/09/12/221709158/massive-molasses-spill-devastates-honolulu-marine-life

 

[Tony]

Wow... that's brutal.

Never imagined something as wholesome as molasses could do something like that...

 

[zackcrack00]

Wow... That REALLY sucks.

 

[ltrepeter2000]

Never realized molasses would be an oxygen absorbent. Wonder what in it causes it to utilize oxygen.

 

[chriscoli]

My guess is that the molasses isn't directly sucking up oxygen.....but the sugars in the molasses are causing bacterial/algal bloom....and it's the microbes that are consuming the oxygen.

 

[chriscoli]

Yep, just googled molasses and redox potential......one source says that it's due to molasses' abundance of trace nutrients. It can be used to take an already somewhat anaerobic environment and push it even further toward the anaerobic end of the spectrum by getting the microbes revved up.

 

[spazmattik]

Crucial...

 

[Tony]

Worst sugary disaster since the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man hit NYC in Ghostbusters...

 

[b considine]

Not the first molasses spill
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Molasses_Disaster

Blaise