Tar balls wash ashore on Florida beaches, but the source of the sticky black goo is a mystery

[Emile]

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard has been searching for tar balls that began showing up on South Florida beaches over the weekend, but so far the source of the black muck remains a mystery.

The agency has been investigating reports of tar balls from Port Everglades to Palm Beach along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

Some beaches in South Florida closed on Saturday when tar balls washed ashore, but they’ve since reopened.

What are tar balls?

Tar balls are small, dark pieces of oil which can stick to the feet of beachgoers, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

They often come from oil spills, but the source can also be (snip)

Read more at: https://apnews.com/article/tar-balls-south-florida-beaches-570b4fb89af2aa6262bbc53e72279724

[marble falls]

1. I'm guessing from the huge petroleum extraction industry presence in the Gulf. Like I said, just a guess.

[Emile]

2. That would be my suspicion too.

[marble falls]

3. And we'll be proven right.

[Zorro]

4. Tankers pumping out their bilge water