10 Animals Most At Risk from Gulf Oil Spill

Gerald Herbert

GlobalPost tracks the 10 animals most in danger from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This story was written by Julia Kumari Drapkin

Oil is spreading across the Gulf of Mexico -- the result of the sinking of an oil rig last week. A spill of this magnitude so close to the wetlands, estuaries and national fisheries of south Louisiana is unprecedented.

Though it's unclear how badly wildlife along the Gulf Coast will suffer, the timing of the spill couldn't be worse. This is peak spawning and nesting season for many species of fish, birds, turtles and marine mammals. Many species remain in set breeding areas during this time and there's less instinct to move away from danger.

Disturbances to nests, fish spawning grounds or key links in the food chain might have lasting effects on species already at risk, commercial fish stocks and the people who make a living harvesting them. Minor oil spills are relatively common on the Gulf Coast, but this one has biologists, wildlife agencies, conservation groups and fishermen particularly concerned.

Here's a selection of animals at risk in the open water, along the coasts and in the wetlands.

1. North Atlantic Bluefin Tuna: The Great Bluefin Tuna, prized for sushi and sashimi, is one of the species most in danger of slipping into extinction. Traveling down across the Atlantic seaboard, bluefin tuna spawn in the Gulf of Mexico between mid-April and mid-June.

Photos: Louisiana Oil Rig Explosion

2. Sea Turtles: Five of the world's seven sea turtle species live, migrate and breed in the Gulf region. Kemp's ridley is the world's most endangered species of sea turtle, and one of its two primary migration routes runs south of Mississippi. Loggerhead turtles, also endangered, feed in the warm waters in the Gulf between May and October.

3. Sharks: Shark species worldwide are in decline. The grassbeds south of the Chandeleur Islands are very close to the oil spill. These grasses are a known nursing area for a number of shark species, which are now beginning their spawning season in the Gulf. Whale sharks, the world's largest fish, feed on plankton at the surface of the water and could also be affected.

4. Marine mammals (whales, porpoises, dolphins): Oil spills pose an immediate threat to marine mammals, which need to surface and breathe. Not only does the oil pose a threat, but also the nasty toxins that the oil kicks off into the air. A resident pod of sperm whales in the spill area could be at risk along with piggy sperm whales, porpoises and dolphins.

5. Brown Pelicans: The state bird of Louisiana, the pelican nests on barrier islands and feeds near shore. Brown pelicans only came off the endangered species list last year, but they've had a rough time in past seasons with storms. Their reproductive rates are low. Breeding season just started, and with eggs incubating the oil could pose a significant threat.

Click here to find out the next five animal endangered by the oil spill.

More on the rig explosion:

Coast Guard: Oil Leak Worse than we Thought

Crews Start Burning Gulf Oil Slick

[noimmiez]

IF HUMANS IMPLEMENTED BIRTH CONTROL POLICIES AROUND THE GLOBE, THERE WOULDN'T BE SO MANY FREAKIN' PEOPLE USING UP PRECIOUS RESOURCES AND KILLING ALL THE ANIMALS.

DON'T LISTEN TO THE PEDOPHILIC POPE. AUSE BIRTH CONTROL!

[credibility_problem]

Our politicians in Washington - in both parties - are shameless servants of the fossil fuel interests on Wall Street.

Clearly this is a major ecological disaster - and recall how the Coast Guard and BP ran all the PR right afterwards (Disaster averted! No oil leak!)?

BP was the main contractor, but Halliburton also ran services to this drilling rig - and these companies have an atrocious record on both spills and safety - they don't care about anything but making a buck.

This is a particularly heavy and toxic crude, loaded up with nasty heavy oil fractions that will wipe out the sensitive fish and bird nesting sites along the gulf - right at the height of the breeding season, too.

France 24 television is covering this in far better detail than any of the big 5 U.S. majors:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Riejd9ymXg

[isanyonefair]

While I probably agree more with you than this comment may imply, I don't think the "politicians in Washington" are entirely at fault.

We don't have a decent energy policy because "we the people" don't want one. Why? Namely because it would cost us more money. Or it might mean we have to change our habits.

That will doesn't exist in the population and thus doesn't exist in the politicians that we elect.

As far as the media goes, its Bronken with regard to any type of news. Unless it relates to speculation or tabloid stuff.

[Skruffy1]

CBS, did you say "piggy sperm whales"? Did you perhaps mean "pygmy" sperm whales? I'm offering to proof-read for you before you publish, and I'll bet you I'd work for less than those you have working for you.

[Scout26]

*facepalm* I was going to leave a similar comment. I wonder what a 'piggy sperm whale' would look like? I would also like to see some photos of these porpoises present in the Gulf that I keep reading about. That would be a surprising find for marine biologists, I'm sure.

[rightbehind]

The Chevy VOLT requires approximately 1500 watts of energy to power the charger. For those that would like to remove it from the grid that's ten 180 watt or twelve 140 watt solar panels. Your driving pleasure provided by the sun. No refining! No feeding big oil! No ideology!! Just good clean science. As for the battery, before the nut cases can say anything. It can be recycled when the time comes. Buy a VOLT the fish will love you for it and you can love them back. They're tasty!

[rightbehind]

by louiville12 April 29, 2010 12:47 PM EDT
Ummm you do know that we refine oil for other countries that do not have refineries right?

Oh and what lasting effect would oil have that bio oil would not??

------

LOL! I guess rocket science isn't your cup of tea! Ya right! They ship their crude over here so we can refine it then ship it back. Sounds real cost effective.

As for your second statement. Ethanol is alcohol better than 180 proof. It quickly dilutes with water. As for the biodiesel, next time you eat french fries it should remind you just how digestible and tasty a bio fuel can be.

Now for the last big crude spill. That was the exxon valdez. Even today you only need to dig down a few inches on the beach to find the mess.

[rightbehind]

The drill it here drill it now nut cases have no clue much of the oil drilled off shore is for the world market. Here's some enlightenment! We export as much oil as we import in the US. Quick someone get a flag or a bible and start waiving before the masses realise republicans have sold out the entire country to big oil and globalization. There is no need to drill another hole in this planet. We need to be moving to bio fuels. They are clean even when spilled and leave no lasting effects. We only use 41% of the farm able land in the US.

[louisiana_born]

Re: Oh and what lasting effect would oil have that bio oil would not??

The major difference is that bio fuels re circulate carbon laready present in the ecosystem, whereas fossil fuels reinsert carbon that has been out of circulation for millions of years. I will admit to being torn as to whether using arable land for fuel production is much less wasteful than using fossil fuels. The best use I can see for these areas would be to use them for food (not corn syrup or cattle feed) production, or to use them as a carbon sink for all the CO2 we've added to the atmosphere from fossil fuel consumption. By posting this, I realise that there are probably flat - earthers out there who don't believe that the world is more than 6,000 years old or that human added CO2 is a problem. Unfortuantely, there is no arguement that can convnce everyone.

[national1942]

rightbehind: If we export as much oil as we import WHY don't we just stop exporting and keep our oil for ourselves?

[louisiana_born]

louiville12, mosquitoes breed in shallow, still waters, and yes could be affected once the oil reaches the inland estuaries. but your sarcasm aside, this disaster WILL affect a maassive variety of animal and plant species. it has the very real potential of causing BILLIONS and BILLIONS of dollars in damage, more than Katrina and Andrew combined. the livelihoods of the entire gulf coast fishing community could be devastated, not to mention the recreational tourism areas of florida, alabama, mississippi and louisiana. louisiana's coast provides most of the breeding grounds for many of the gulf's species, and feeding grounds for some of it's intriguing species (cbs mentioned 'piggy' sperm whales - that should have read 'pigmy').

btw, should the port of new orleans have to close, how many barges of grain will be locked down, unable to to be exported? during katrina, hundreds were stuck in st. louis for weeks, impaacting farmers across the midwest.