Frederic Kahler paints abstracts, portraits, landscapes, whatever. Lately he has been painting a lot of whatevers. They reflect what has been going on in the northern Gulf of Mexico since April 20, namely the gushing of millions of gallons of oil that already has taken a toll on wildlife, beaches and people who live on the coast.

Every day they watch. And they worry. And they wait. The oil keeps pouring into their Gulf, the black stain creeping ever closer, coming to claim their shores, their pelicans, their shrimp. They’re scared. And they’re angry. They want to do something. But what? They can’t strap on a mask and dive into the sea and plug that pipe. They keep thinking there must be a way to make a difference, to make things better. Or, at least, to make themselves feel better. So these folks set out to make their mark. Their tools? Bottles of Pepto Bismol, a painted octopus, bags packed with poodle hair, and the best of intentions.

DAVID MURPHY, 58

Rubber gloves? Check. Toothbrushes and towels? Check. Supersized bottles of Dawn dishwashing detergent and plastic cages and plenty of Pepto Bismol? Check. David Murphy is ready. Whenever he gets the call, he will jump into his flag-striped VW Bug and be there for the birds. Murphy, who is retired, volunteers at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores almost every day, but he has never scrubbed oil from waterbirds. He’s worried about them. “This is just way too big for any of us to really understand.” He hopes the BP disaster will make people more vigilant about protecting their environment. Mostly, he hopes to get that call to help. ... Read more

Plaquemines Parish Coastal Zone Director P.J. Hahn rescues a heavily oiled bird from the waters of Barataria Bay, which are laden with oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, in Barataria Bay, La., Saturday, June 26, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) ... Read more

Craig McCrodden, 29, a dropmaster for the United States Coast Guard, sits on the edge of the wide open ramp while looking down at the site of the oil spill as he and his crew fly over the area in the Gulf of Mexico Thursday afternoon, June 24. The C-130 flight departed from the St. Petersburg/Clearwater airport with a crew of seven based out of Elizabeth City, NC. This was the crew's seventh consecutive day to fly around or over the oil spill. The USCG flies daily missions over the various areas of the oil spill. ... Read more

The tide came in Tuesday night, under a moon almost full, and when the sun came up and the water retreated there it was: a broken band of oil about 5 feet wide and 8 miles long.

It looked like tobacco spit and smelled foreign, and it pooled in yesterday's footprints as far as you could see. State officials called it the worst show of crude on shore from the gusher 120 miles away. READ THE STORY: Oil blankets Pensacola Beach.

Kevin Reed, 36, of Pensacola breaks down and weeps upon seeing the oil-defiled shores of Pensacola Beach on June 23, 2010. Reed's father taught him to swim in these waters, and Reed just taught his five year old son to swim here. "This will never be the same," he says. "I'd like to take the CEO of BP and jam his face in that pile on the beach." ... Read more