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Tourism boosters on the Gulf Coast welcomed a map published by the government on July 2 showing the region from Tampa to Naples has little chance of being affected by the BP oil spill.
The news was particularly welcome in areas such as Lee and Collier counties, where the map by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows a less-than-1% probability of seeing any oil from the spill on its beaches.
Thank the loop current, which flows parallel to the Gulf Coast and may take the oil through the Florida straits. Less fortunate are the Florida Keys and Miami, which are more likely than Sanibel or Marco Island to see tar wash up on the reefs.
Still, the Keys' misfortune won't benefit the Gulf Coast, as images of the ecological disaster will give more reasons for tourists to avoid the state altogether. And who knows what the next hurricane might bring.
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