When oil gushed out of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico in spring and summer 2010, it was all anyone could talk about. Several years on, it’s much further from our minds—but that doesn’t mean the story is over. What happened to the 3.19 million barrels of oil? How has it affected Gulf ecosystems and wildlife?

Trace the path of the oil in this interactive, based on scientific research from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative. Click on the blue navigation buttons at top to follow the oil through time and space. Click on the small orange plus-signs for pop-ups with more detailed information and pictures. And if you still have questions, continue to our Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill overview page.