GULF OIL DISASTER: Sticky mess: The Gulf oil spill's impact on nature - The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com Sticky mess: The Gulf oil spill's impact on nature May 24, 2010 (1 of 55) Previous | Next Crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill washes ashore in Orange Beach, Ala., on June 12. Large amounts of the oil battered the Alabama coast, leaving deposits of the slick mess some 4-6 inches thick on the beach in some parts. Dave Martin/AP (1 of 55) via csmonitor.com