Kim Chauvin kisses her son, Dusty Chauvin while also getting a hug from her other son David Sunday, May 2, 2010. Her two sons, who are commercial fisherman unable to fish because of the spill, were preparing to head to the side of the spill, while contracted by BP, to help clean up the oil.
Todd Lyons, left, cuts Dusty Chauvin’s hair into a mowhawk while David Chauvin smokes a cigarette Sunday, May 2, 2010. The crew of the Mariah Jade decided to cut their hair into mowhawks since they might be out cleaning up the oil for more than a month.
Todd Lyons tosses a rope to shore while docking the Mariah Jade in Venice, La. for their first night en route to the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, May, 3, 2010.
Dusty Chauvin drives the Mariah Jade on Tuesday, May 4, 2010 while David Chauvin and Todd Lyons look out the windows. The crew followed orders to specific coordinates but were unable to find the oil. “We’re fisherman,” David said. “It’s our life to find our catch in the gulf. Let us find the oil.
A Brown Pelican flies as the sun sets next to the Amanda Marie on the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday, May 4, 2010. The Amanda Marie was a part of the first fleet of shrimp vessels to be hired by BP to help clean up the oil spill.
Donovan Bourg, left, and Todd Lyons watch as oil is corralled into the boom and soaked up on Wednesday, May 5, 2010. After deploying the oil-absorbent pads, the crew would wait anywhere from five to 30 minutes before hauling them in and storing them in plastic bags.
Donovan Bourg, left, and Todd Lyons work to haul in oil-absorbent pads on Wednesday, May 5, 2010. The crew were required to wear protective suits while working with the oil.
Dusty Chauvin watches as the Mariah Jade passes through a patch of oil on Wednesday, May 5, 2010. Chauvin’s job was to position the boat in the oil while the rest of the crew worked to soak it up with different types of boom.
Oil covers the sand on the beach in Grand Isle, La. Thursday, May 20, 2010 as ES&H employees rake it into plastic bags.
Russell Dardar collects a sample of oil found in Lake Felicity near his house on Tuesday, May 25, 2010. Dardar, who fishes for a living, was unable to work because of the spill.
The Development Driller II, left and the Discover Enterprise work to plug the well that’s spilling oil into the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at the site of the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
Work crews replace old boom on Fourchon Beach Thursday, June 24, 2010. Oil hadn’t arrived on shore in a few week, but the boom was still placed as a precaution.
Hunter McElveen, 3, runs along a fence blocking access to the water on Grand Isle Beach on June 29, 2010. Public access to the water was blocked as crews worked to clean oil from the sand.
A pelican covered in oil flaps its wings while standing on Raccoon Island Thursday, July 15, 2010. Raccoon Island is the largest seabird nesting area along the Louisiana coast.
Oil floats on the water in Timbalier Bay as members of the Coast Guard’s Rapid Assessment Team mark coordinates Thursday morning. The team took note of how much oil and where it was, then passed the information along to officials to determine what’s needed to clean it up.
Wildlife Biologist Mike Carloss, left, and Rhonda Murgatroyd, with Wildlife Response Services, watch as a roseate spoonbill is released back into the wild Tuesday morning. The birds were once impacted by oil and cleaned at the Hammond Rehabilitation Center.