Oil Spill: Government and Researchers Face Off Over Oil Estimates

Aug. 17, 2010 — -- While BP's well in the Gulf of Mexico remains plugged, new information suggests that plenty of oil remains in the waters and could be headed toward shore.

Two new studies from the University of Georgia and the University of South Florida found that almost 80 percent of the oil that leaked from BP's well is still out in the waters of the Gulf. Much of the oil has broken down into tiny particles, but researchers say those bits of crude are still toxic.

Watch "World News" for the latest on the oil spill tonight on ABC.

"My suspicion would be that a large fraction of this oil is still in the system," said Samantha Joye, a marine sciences professor at the University of Georgia.

The researchers' findings present a stark contrast to the White House's assessment of the situation earlier this month.

According to an estimate from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released by the White House on Aug. 4, 74 percent of the oil was gone.

"A report out today by our scientists shows that the vast majority of the spilled oil has been dispersed or removed from the water," President Obama said.

Carol Browner, the director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy, told ABC's "Good Morning America" that day that the remaining oil would "continue to weather" and break down with the help of Mother Nature.