In April 2010 an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig killed eleven workers and opened the largest marine oil spill in history, releasing an estimated four million barrels of crude into the Gulf of Mexico over nearly three months. The spill fouled coastlines, fisheries and wetlands across several US Gulf states. It prompted a moratorium on deepwater drilling and tighter offshore safety rules. Recovery and litigation extended over many years.
It underscored the coastal and economic exposure of cities and communities dependent on vulnerable marine and energy systems, sharpening debate over offshore risk and coastal resilience.