AS the Gulf of Mexico continues to fill with oil this summer, condos and restaurants will sit empty, fishing boats will stay docked, and beaches  even those without a single tar ball  will attract fewer tourists.

Economists estimate that more than seven million businesses will suffer from both the spill and the tarnished reputation it has brought to the region.

BP has now begun reimbursing businesses that rely on the gulf for their revenue. Since May, it has paid just under a third of the more than 90,000 claims it has received, with the checks totaling more than $144 million.

About 80 percent of the payments have gone to self-employed workers  including shrimpers, charter boat captains and beachfront condo owners  who can clearly show that the spill has affected their ability to make a profit. Fewer large businesses have been compensated because their claims are more complex and take longer to process.