There are smaller slicks of oil identified by planes, radioed to boats, skimmers sent to intercept those pockets of oil.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

Many of the teams have been testing the slicks in Barcelona ahead of their reintroduction, with lap times falling as a result.

CNN: Flying Alonso gives Renault glimmer of hope

Now it's flooded with muddy water and pearly with oil slicks.

NPR: Cameron Parish Hit Hard by Hurricane Rita

Unlike oil, the dye has the same density as the surrounding water, does not coagulate or form slicks, and is not subject to chemical breakdown by bacteria or other forces.

FORBES: Summer Beach Season Ruined? Computer Simulation Shows BP Oil Spill Could Reach Atlantic Soon

More recently, the 2011 Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X Challenge spurred an Illinois company to create a cleanup method for oil slicks that is four times more effective than any previous one.

WHITEHOUSE: Unleashing Innovation & Deepening Democracy Through Prizes | The White House

Alonso survived 13 laps before he came back to the pits to revert to slicks but a problem with a loose wheel nut saw him trapped in the pits for 18 seconds leaving him short on time to close down Schumacher.

BBC: SPORT | Motorsport | Formula One | No excuses for mistakes - Renault

Buddy was the working-writer Salinger, the man who had laboured in 1939-43 to get stuff into Esquire and the Saturday Evening Post, while all the time disdaining those slicks and lusting after the New Yorker which, in 1948, took him into its embrace.

ECONOMIST: J.D. Salinger | The

So one of the reasons that Admiral Allen met with the parish presidents today was to streamline their plans for dealing with the oil slicks when they do come in, how best they want to deal with the contours as we make some decisions about where to lay additional booming and set up additional barriers.

WHITEHOUSE: Aboard Air Force One En Route Andrews Air Force Base