Coast Guard’s expert details two ways oil could reach the Tampa Bay area
Oil Spill: USF professor weighs in on potential oil risk for Bay area, Channel 10 WTSP Tampa Bay:
[T]he Coast Guard called on [Bob Weisberg, professor of Physical Oceanography at the University of South Florida] for his expertise during this disaster. …
Oil washing ashore in Pensacola could pose a problem.
“Oil that’s already in shallow water in the Panhandle [could be] transported along shallow water pathways to us [in the Tampa Area],” said Weisberg.
That would be a slow process, but possible nonetheless.
Another possibility is that pieces of dispersed oil, called hydro-carbons, might move ashore along the bottom.
“They could upwell over the continental shelf… and eventually make their way here,” said Weisberg.
http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=133529&catid=8