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Natural seeps are just that - natural. They have been occurring for millennia and the ocean has evolved ways to deal with them. From microscopic bacteria that feed on the petroleum to the simple size of the ocean. The seeps have time to disperse and not contaminate a single large space suddenly.

With spills the area is supersaturated with millions of gallons of oil within hours. The dispersal effect of the waves is generally overwhelmed and even the microbes that thrive on petroleum are hard pressed to do anything of any use.

Man-made efforts to clean the mess sometimes make things worse. Past studies have shown that chemical dispersants can be very toxic. The technology is improving, but its not fool-proof yet.

No one knows what the long term effects of the recent Gulf of Mexico spill might be, but its clear that since the man-made spills are generally localized, the threat may be greater.

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