May 16, 2010
FeatureGulf Oil Spill Affects Vulnerable Wildlife
On the evening of April 20, a fire broke out on the Deepwater Horizon, a mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU). Not long after, the oil platform exploded, injuring 17 workers and killing 11. Two days later, the rig sunk and it was discovered that the wellhead was leaking a massive amount of oil. Further investigation indicates that 210,000 gallons of oil are being discharged into the gulf every day. As of May 16, engineers from British Petroleum (the oil company which currently holds the lease to the well) had successfully put together a contraption to suck oil from a pipe placed at the broken wellhead and were siphoning the oil into a tanker ship nearby. Engineers are also drilling a relief well, which is hoped to provide a permanent solution to the leaking wellhead; however, this second well is not expected to be complete for several months. Meanwhile, marine scientists have discovered the existence of several underwater oil plumes, one of which stretches to a length of 10 miles and has a width of three miles. These underwater plumes, in addition to the massive amount of oil on the surface of the water, indicate that the effects of this oil spill will remain long after the problem of the leaking wellhead is resolved.
This satellite image shows the oil slick resulting from the leaking wellhead. (Credit: NASA)
Emergency Response
A number of stakeholders have deployed to the Gulf Coast to deal with the results of the oil spill. Those currently involved include the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Minerals Management Service (MMS), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), BP, and Transocean (the owner of the sunken oil rig). According to the official website of the Deepwater Horizon Response Unified Command, as of May 15, approximately 17,500 people are currently in the area working to protect the affected shoreline and wildlife. In addition, over 1.25 million feet of containment boom and 415,000 feet of sorbent boom have been put in place to contain the spill and nearly 560,000 gallons of chemical dispersants have been sprayed above and below the water’s surface to break up the oil.
Impact on Wildlife
Wildlife that depend on the Gulf of Mexico are among the most vulnerable populations to the oil spill. These animals inhabit the marshy areas that line the Gulf coastline, feed on marine species, and use the shoreline as nesting sites. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (UWFWS), the severity of an oil spill on area wildlife depends on several factors including
- the type and quantity of oil spilled,
- the season and weather,
- the type of shoreline, and
- the type of waves and tidal energy in the area where the oil was spilled.
In the case of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the type of oil spewing into gulf waters is light crude oil. This type of oil has the potential to cause long-term contamination as it leaves a residue film on intertidal resources that is not easily removed. Wildlife specialists are quite concerned about the effect the oil spill will have on wildlife as the spill occurred at the height of the breeding season for a number of different species. Wildlife can be affected by the spill through physical contact, ingestion, inhalation, and absorption of oil.
Waterfowl are particularly vulnerable to the effects of an oil spill. (Credit: Ann Heisenfelt/epa/Corbis)
Waterfowl are particularly vulnerable to the effects of oil. These birds typically become covered in oil as they float on the water’s surface. The oil causes the birds to lose their ability to fly, dive, or float, and many die due to drowning. Oil also causes a bird’s feathers to lose their ability to repel water, and can lead to hypothermia under certain conditions. In addition, birds may ingest oil when they preen, or groom, their feathers. This oil ingestion can cause immediate death and/or permanent damage to their organs.
Other animals may be affected by an oil spill when they eat contaminated animals. Studies indicate that the ingestion of oil leads to immune system suppression, organ damage, skin irritation, and changes in behavior. The accumulation of contaminants in eggs and developing young can lead to deleterious health effects including improper growth and development or death.
Biomagnification, or the accumulation of toxic substances in animals higher up in a food chain, is particularly problematic. Consider a food chain with plankton at its base. In such a food chain, plankton absorb the oil, fish eat the contaminated plankton, and the contaminated fish are in turn eaten by higher-order consumers such as eagles or other birds of prey. Over time, contaminants build up in their bodies, causing a variety of health problems, if not death. Humans that consume shellfish and fish harvested in the Gulf Coast may also be vulnerable to such contamination. For this reason, those in the shellfish and fishery industries are particularly worried about the effect the gulf oil spill will have on their livelihoods.
Long-Term Effects
Studies show that oil spills can affect a habitat and its inhabitants long after a spill is contained. For example, in one study, oil was detected in sediment 30 years after a spill occurred. Given that a number of wildlife, including several endangered and threatened species such as the West Indian manatee, Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, key deer, Gulf sturgeon, piping plover, and wood stork, among many others, depend on habitat likely to be affected by the spill, there is much concern about what will happen to these species if the impact of the oil spill on coastline habitats is as severe as some predict it will be. Currently, a number of wildlife specialists have deployed to the Gulf Coast to help in the capture and rehabilitation of affected wildlife species. Plans are in place to stay as long as necessary to ensure the long-term clean-up and protection of affected habitats and the wildlife that depend on them. At this point, only time will tell what the lasting impacts of this oil spill will be.
Comments
Comment from: alysea
August 30, 2010 07:59 AM [#]
this is crazier than any thing!!!