Gulf oil spill one year later

Sam Slavich is a fourth-generation Croatian oysterman and that legacy will end when he retires. His son is not interested in following in his footsteps. Garrett Hubbard / USA TODAY

It's hard for me to believe that it's been a year since the tragic Deep Water Horizon platform explosion and the oil spill that followed. It seems like photos of oiled pelicans and the underwater video feed of the lead were all over our news just yesterday. So what is really happening now? I connected with one of my friends Rick Jervis, a colleague great reporter who works for USA TODAY, to ask him that question. This is what I learned on my trip to New Orleans early April.





Read the USA TODAY story here. As it turns out April 20 is also the date of the tragic Columbine school shooting rampage and one day after the Oklahoma City bombing. An ugly time of the year it seems--save Easter which is glorious.

Sam Slavich and his crew are one of but a few oyster boats that still fish after the spill. A year ago Sam would see dozens of fellow oystermen on their boats, but now only a few boats remain to fish. Garrett Hubbard / USA TODAY

Sam's oyester culling hammer. Garrett Hubbard / USA TODAY

Sam's brother Anthony Slavich takes a smoke during after a five-hour shift. The third in the crew is also a veteran and a former oyster boat owner. He said he could no longer make payments after the oil spill because of the fishing moratorium. Garrett Hubbard / USA TODAY

Anthony having his coffee and a smoke before dawn. Each morning begins at 5:30 a.m. and after a 90-minute boat ride through the marshes they make their way to their oyster leases where the drag (fish) for the entire day. Garrett Hubbard / USA TODAY