organisms 40 miles south of panama city, florida. the organisms are the foundation of the food chain. what feeds and fuels the ecology of the ocean and if those guys are in trouble, then the ocean is in trouble. reporter: scientists downplayed the impact of microscopic oil making its way up the food chain. this is what the head of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration said earlier this month. fish will degrade that oil and process it naturally. and so it doesn t bioaccumulate. it is not a situation where we need to be concerned about that. over time it will be broken down. reporter: scientists tell cnn that s a short-sided view of the danger. noaa officials have not responded to. the ten-day mission in the gulf of mexico was a rocky voyage.
this is the weather bird 2, a research vessel used by the university of south florida for the last ten days. investigating the oil spill. some 13 scientists have been on-board and they re just now coming home to st. petersburg. what s in these containers right here? water in here has been was collected from 50 meters. reporter: david hollander was one of the lead researchers on the mission. did you feel like you were kind of on the verge of really getting a better understanding of what s going on underneath the water? i think we re adding to the puzzle. we re adding to the pieces of the puzzle. reporter: hollander and another expert on the journey john paul sat down with cnn for an exclusive review of their findings. they found toxic levels of oil and dispersants affecting marine organisms 40 miles south of panama city, florida. the organisms and other microscopic bacteria in the ocean are the foundation of the food chain. what feeds and fuels the ecology of the ocean and i
know most uncommon valor, bravery of america s men. honoring seven members of the special forces. cnn s barbara starr has more from ft. bragg, california. reporter: ordinary soldiers and extraordinary men. these special forces troops each receiving a silver star here at ft. bragg, north carolina. i m a guy on one day in june of 2008 earned my paycheck. reporter: the army begs to differ. afghanistan, june 11, 2007. secretary of the army. reporter: they all survived deadly taliban ambushes. all ran into fields of fire to save each other, to save other wounded americans, and even to save afghans. staff sergeant daniel gold and mario were ambushed by taliban
good morning on this tuesday, 17th of august. thanks for joining us. i m john roberts. i m kiran chetry. let s get right to it. first, researchers in florida discovering oil from bp s gulf spill has spread further east than previously thought. the oil is not on the surface. the scientists say it is all over the sea floor in mall droplets along with the dispersants bp put into the water. they say the mix is toxic to marine life. you won t see this story anywhere else. a cnn exclusive coming up. blood why you suicide attack in baghdad today. 48 people are dead outside of a military recruiting center. more than 100 others are injured. iraq s still dealing with a political crisis as our military prepares to leave. full update from the pentagon just ahead. also it used to be swiping your debit card for even a small purchase could lead to a large overdraft fees if you didn t have enough money in the account. those days could be coming to an end.
quickly hand funds to this country for worries many different kinds of worries such as transparency. the government needs to provide more transparency, according to some opposition leaders here. sara seidner for us getting a firsthand look at the devastation, thank you. to get more information on how you can help provide relief for the flood victims, visit our website cnn s impact your world at cnn.com/impact. also new this morning, president obama may ease travel restrictions to cuba. according to the new york times, the administration s planning to allow more americans to visit the island on academic, religious and cultural trips. last year the president made it easier for americans to visit relatives who were living in cuba. a setback for same-sex marriages in california. a federal appeals court temporarily placing marriages on hold until december at the earliest. that s when the panel is set to meet again to hear arguments in the case. the bureau of land manage pt pla