An unprecedented gathering of marine mammal scientists and researchers, armed with the latest high-tech equipment, set to sea late last week to begin the first step in a multi-year study of the BP oil spill’s impact on whales and dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico. As a matter of fact, this month-long mission would not have left port were it not for the fact that another research trip had already been planned for the 244-foot Gordon Gunther.
Tags: · BP Gulf Coast oil spill, BP oil spill, Bryde's whales in gulf, dolphins and BP oil spill, dolphins in Gulf of Mexico, NOAA research cetaceans gulf, oil spill, research cetaceans gulf, research on dolphins in gulf, research on whales in gulf, sperm whales in gulf, whales and BP oil spill, whales in gulf, whales in Gulf of Mexico
Every day, the chart changes. Creatures are divided into categories, separated by states, grouped by status and numbers, all highlighted with bright colors.
As of Wednesday, 442 oiled birds have been collected alive on the Gulf of Mexico coast, and 109 “visibly oiled” birds have been found dead. The total number of dead birds found is 633. The cause of death for most is still being studied. Some biologists contend, though, that the birds killed by this disaster is likely in the thousands already, because sea birds will dive into waters thick with oil, drown and never be counted.
Tags: · bird losses, bird rescue, BP Gulf Coast oil spill, BP oil spill, Fish and Wildlife Service and oil spill, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, International Bird Rescue Research Center, Jay Holcomb, oiled bird clean-up, oiled birds, oiled pelicans, Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research
It’s hard to get emotional about shrimp. They don’t have sad eyes like a sea turtle. They don’t look like a helpless brown pelican covered in oil. They aren’t photogenic and the only time you see one is probably at dinner. That’s unfortunate, and not just for the tens of thousands of people who make a living off the multi-million dollar shrimp industry in the Gulf of Mexico. As crude oil creeps into Louisiana’s delicate estuaries and marshlands, shrimp – and the micro-organisms they eat – will die.
Tags: · BP Gulf Coast oil spill, BP oil spill, Gulf of Mexico disaster, Gulf of Mexico oil spill, shrimp, shrimp and oil spill, shrimping industry, tainted shrimp
By Susan Lyon, Daniel J. Weiss
The BP Gulf Coast rig explosion is a horrible human, economic, and environmental disaster. The death of 11 employees is tragic. The spill could devastate the Gulf Coast commercial and sport fishing industries for years to come. Louisiana’s seafood industry alone is worth $2 billion annually.
Tags: · BP Gulf Coast oil spill, Exxon Valdez oil spill, OtherVoicesBlog, the biggest U.S. economic and environmental disaster since the Exxon Valdez spill, The Center for American Progress
Barbara Kessler
Andrew Winston
Danielle Nierenberg
Anthony Swift