There seems to be some progress under the ocean at the Gulf of Mexico's spill site, where a newly installed containment cap is capturing a portion of the gushing oil. On the water's surface, however, the inexorable spread of oil is making its way as far east as Pensacola, Florida, where it is threatening lives and livelihoods across the Gulf coast.

For more on how the oil is making its way to Florida's shores in the form of tar balls, and how it's affecting local prospects, we’re joined by Mike Wiggins, the Mayor of Pensacola, and Patricia Mazzei, reporter for The Miami Herald.

Photo credit Patricia Mazzei / Miami Herald

Patricia writes, of the above tarball:

They smell a little like WD-40 and are gooey, kind of like a sticky chocolate pudding. They do stick to things – boogie boards, shoes, feet – and take a while to rub off. Beachgoers have been picking them up with sticks and little plastic shovels and collecting them in jars, cups and pails to show to their families and friends or to help clean up the beach, even though officials are asking people not to pick up the tar. Cleanup crews wearing plastic gear and gloves are supposed to pick them up instead.