Vermilion Bay: Backgrounder on Location of Mariner Energy Platform Explosion

(Sept. 2) -- Its name is drawn from a ruddy pigment used since ancient times. But right now the collective worry is that it's about to become streaked with a fresh leak of brown crude: The site of an Gulf oil platform explosion, reported Thursday morning by a helicopter company flying over the area, is 80 miles from Vermilion Bay along the central coast of Louisiana.

Surge Desk has the details on the bay's location, wildlife and history with oil rigs -- and oil disasters like this one on Mariner Energy's platform.

Where is Vermilion Bay exactly?

The bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, to which it's linked by the Southwest Pass straight. Vermilion River, a 72-mile stretch of water that flows through southern Louisiana, feeds into the bay.

On the bay's southwestern shore, there's a dedicated wildlife refuge zone -- it's also in close range to Marsh Island, home to yet another state wildlife refuge.

What's Vermilion Bay known for?

Largely wildlife and fishing. The bay is home to myriad marine life, as well as alligators, shorebirds and wading birds.

The flora and fauna in the area also make it a hot spot for camping: Cypremort Point State Park, on the coast of the bay, offers fishing, canoeing, kayaking and bird watching for tenting tourists.

Has It Been Affected by Oil Spills Before?

Oh, you know it. The BP oil spill was a direct hit to the bay: 1,100 miles off the coast of Vermilion were closed to fishing after the April spill.

Patches of oil were spotted in the bay via satellite imagery throughout the summer.

Conservation projects in the area, like an oyster reef restoration project, were stalled by the spill and have just started picking up steam again. Time will tell whether this latest rig incident stops them yet again. So far, reports of another oil leak have not been confirmed.