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Small amounts of oil spotted on Coastal Bend beaches

Experts said they are aware of it and noticed it as far north as the Port Aransas Jetty.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — If you have been to the beach recently, you might have noticed some small spots of oil washed up from the Gulf of Mexico. 

Experts said they are aware of it and noticed it as far north as the Port Aransas Jetty.

They said oil does wash up on our beaches from sometimes and it could be from different causes.

Nueces County Coastal Parks Director Scott Cross said the amount of oil on area beaches is not a concern. However, if the percentage is greater than five percent of a large area, for example, that could be a sign of a larger problem. 

He said the amount there right now is less than that.

"Not aware of any kind of a rig accident, oil spill or anything like that. I'm actually in communication with the Texas General Land Office Oil Spill Response Division that's here out of Corpus," Cross said. "Actually, I talked to them today, they're doing some cleanup."

University of Texas Marine Science Institute Director Dr. Ed Buskey said that finding small traces of oil along our shores often poses minimal risk.

"In Texas, it's not that unusual to be able to find, you know, small bits of oil on the beach. It really doesn't pose a great danger, you know. If there was a big volume of it, then it, then it would be a problem," Dr. Buskey said.

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