The dramatic reduction in fishing pressure allowed the devastated populations to recover, and five years later one had to look carefully to spot either remaining oil or damaged populations. The high temperatures of the Gulf of Mexico helped, as recovery proceeds much faster in warm waters than in cold.
在“伊克斯托克”事故后，墨西哥渔业遭受的打击却使人们因祸得福。捕捞压力的大幅减轻给了遭受毁灭性打击的鱼类种群以喘息之机，事故发生5年后，人们必需仔细观察才能发现残留的原油和对鱼群的影响。墨西哥湾的高温发挥了积极作用，因为温暖水域的生态恢复比寒冷水域快得多。