Defenders of Wildlife Blog

A weekly homage to endangered species, large and small.

Tulotoma snails have made an outstanding recovery.

TULOTOMA SNAIL (Tulotoma Magnifica)

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming this week to celebrate a big success story for a very small animal. Last week, Reuters reported that the Fish and Wildlife Service downlisted the Tulotoma snail from “endangered” to “threatened”. It is the first mollusk (a large phylum that includes clams and squids) ever to be removed from the federal Endangered Species List because of rebounding populations.

The Tulotoma snail is native to the Coosa and Alabama rivers where it was once thought to be extinct. In 1991, a small group of snails were found along a leaking dam in the Alabama River and the FWS placed the tiny gastropods (the class that includes snails and slugs) on the federal endangered species list.

Dams built along Alabama’s rivers have caused big environmental troubles. They prevent water flow necessary for carrying oxygen to underwater organisms. Due in part to these dams, Alabama is among the leaders in extinctions. According to the Reuters article, biologists say that some 59 species of state-native mollusks and fish are now extinct.

However, with the help of a dedicated conservation community, federal regulation, and the resilience of these little critters, the Tulotoma snail has escaped the fate of its many predecessors and been restored to about ten percent of its historic range—a dramatic increase from the one percent it previously occupied in 1991.

A big part of the recovery is attributed to the Clean Water act which implemented pollution control programs and set standards for industrial development. At the request of federal officials, the Alabama Power Company (which constructed dams in the snails’ habitat) began releasing steady flows of oxygenated water into the Coosa River which also helped spur the rebounding population.

WHAT GOOD ARE THEY?

It’s a good thing that the snails have returned. These 2-inch long mollusks with elegant swirls and polished shells do much more than decorate dams and river banks. The Tulotoma snail plays a huge role in cleaning up the environment. They are filter feeders that remove bacteria and algae from the surface waters. With all the pollutants that enter the rivers from natural and man-made waste, the water would be far more mucky and grimy without the snail and other species that sanitize these streams.

Additionally, the snail is an important food source for ducks, turtles, fish and other animals. Without the snails, these animals might leave the river in search of other food sources causing a further decline in the area’s biodiversity.

Thankfully, the slow snails are on a fast track to recovery. Although they’ve now been downlisted, the FWS says that many protections for the snail will remain. Threats such as chemical spills, population isolation and even simple changes in water quality must still be monitored. However, this success story should be a shining example of what local communities, government, and businesses can accomplish when dedicated to the goal of conservation.

Back down to Louisiana and Alabama, photographer and Defenders of Wildlife friend Bill Campbell spent his second trip to the Gulf capturing on film the thick crude washed up on the once-pristine beaches of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and in the waters surrounding the brown pelican nesting colony at Queen Bess Island in Barataria Bay.

Thanks to Defenders Jamie Clark and Cindy Hoffman, Bill was able view efforts to clean oiled birds at the Fort Jackson rehabilitation facility. He writes of the experience, “It was amazing to see all the people here working so hard and caring so much for these birds, it is just a shame that they have been put in this position by BP Oil.”

Read more about Bill’s most recent trip to the Gulf on his photoblog.

Jereme Phillips, courtesy of Jennifer Strickland, USFWS

Jereme Phillips has been with the US Fish and Wildlife Service for 11 years. He is the Refuge Manager at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Gulf Shores, Alabama. 

Defenders: Jereme, what is your role in addressing the disaster in the Gulf?

Jereme: My primary role is to protect refuge wildlife and habitats from the oil spill. My staff and I also coordinate closely with the unified command to ensure that the response to the oil spill (surveys, cleanup, boom deployment) is directed to help protect the most sensitive refuge resources and so that any negative impacts are avoided. For example, we mark sea turtle and migratory bird nesting areas so that crews who need to use all-terrain vehicles can do so without affecting nests. Read the full story

A federal judge blocked a six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling, but the Obama administration has decided to appeal the judge’s decision, reports Voice of America News.

Read the full story

ABC’s Sam Champion and Philippe Cousteau head under the waves to bring you video footage of what the oil spill looks like underwater.

326 dead, 31 survivors – this is the ratio of birds that have been found dead along Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama coastlines or been euthanized after capture to the number that have survived during the first five weeks of the oil spill.

Despite being ordered by the EPA to find a less toxic alternative to the oil dispersant being used in the Gulf, Corexit, BP and EPA are now realizing that these alternatives do not exist in the quantities needed.

A 21 year old sea otter named Nuka living at the Seattle Aquarium who survived the Exxon Valdez oil disaster  in 1989 but who’s life has been plagued by health problems,  gives insight into the possible long term health effects that animals in the Gulf that come into contact with the oil could suffer.

The Obama administration’s point man on the oil spill has rejected the idea of the federal government taking over operations in the Gulf to stem the flow of oil being poured into its waters saying that the government has neither BP’s expertise nor it’s deep sea equipment.

On the 30-day anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion that has led to what may be one of the worst environmental disasters this country has ever seen, Defenders of Wildlife takes a look at 20 ways the oil industry and our federal government have failed to keep us safe from the dangers that offshore oil and gas drilling poses to wildlife and coastal habitats. We also recommend 10 ways that Congress and the administration can make changes that could help prevent future oil catastrophes and mitigate the impacts of the current crisis.

Read the full story