Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Oil may not be washing upon the shores of the Gulf in vast slicks, but that doesn’t mean it’s disappeared. Here, Defenders’ own Tim Male holds solid proof in his hands that oil remains a part of Louisiana beaches used by people and wildlife alike.

As tar balls such as these continue to float in from the ocean, they’re still a threat to imperiled Gulf species like Kemp’s ridley sea turtles and brown pelicans that depend on a healthy marine ecosystem to survive. For example, if sea turtles ingest even small amounts of oil from the water or their food, over time, it can accumulate in their bodies and harm or kill them.

Tim’s “big ol’ patty of tar” is a dark reminder that the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster is far from over – and efforts to restore and rehabilitate the Gulf of Mexico have only just begun. Click here to see what you can do to help wildlife that continues to be impacted by oil in Gulf waters, and prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again.

Defenders continues to be impressed with people across the country who are finding creative ways to bring attention to the oil tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico that has taken the lives of thousands of animals  and contaminated the region’s natural habitats.

One Eyed Rhyno, a musical group comprised of brother and sister James and Elaine Hunter and longtime friend, Andrew Daniels. Their mission is to rock with a cause.  These teens are not only turning heads with their sound, but also with their drive to do something.
 
Their single, “The Bird,” addresses the devastating and deadly conditions that impact wildlife after an oil spill. The band’s lead singer, James, originally wrote the song when he was 10 years old after learning about the Exxon Valdez spill. In the aftermath of the Gulf oil disaster, he decided to record the song and release it to raise awareness and money to help restore the area’s devastated ecosystem.

Find out what you can do to help save wildlife and prevent the next offshore drilling disaster.

A green winged teal, one of the ducks threatened by the spill. Photo courtesy of Tom Munson, US Fish and Game

By October, large numbers of migratory birds will flock south to the Gulf of Mexico after a summer spent in Canada’s Boreal Forest. Ready to spend the winter in Louisiana marshes - typically rich with food -  these ducks have no idea what’s in store for them when they touch down. What impacts will a vastly different Gulf region have on these birds?

Dr. Jeff Wells, senior scientist for the Boreal Songbird Initiative, an organization dedicated to outreach and education about the importance of the Boreal Forest region to North America’s birds, other wildlife and the global environment, addresses this very question in a new article, “Gulf oil spill puts million of Canada’s migratory birds at risk.”

“The Gulf Coast, especially the Mississippi River Delta, is vitally important for many wetland bird species. The marshes, beaches and tidal flats provide ideal nesting and migratory stopover habitat for millions of waterfowl, seabirds, shorebirds and other waterbirds. These habitats also house the fish, mollusks and other marine life of the Gulf of Mexico, which make up the food supply for these birds. Scientists worry that the impact on some of the smaller food sources like plankton could have a far-reaching ripple effect on the entire food chain.”

Click here to read the full article and learn more about what awaits Canada’s migratory birds upon their return to the Gulf of Mexico.

In the aftermath of the Gulf oil disaster, Defenders of Wildlife received hundreds of phone calls and emails from concerned Americans wondering what they could do to help wildlife and coastal habitat impacted by the catastropic spill. Having already built a tool called the Conservation Registry to track and map conservation projects across the country, we decided to create a section of the site geared specifically toward people looking to aid in Gulf response and recovery. 

With the help of Google Maps, the Gulf Oil Spill Recovery website combines the latest locations of oil along with information on important wildlife habitats.  Users are able to see what impacts have occurred, response steps taken already and what projects still need volunteers. The interactive site also invites people to record the impacts they have witnessed themselves, and spread the word about what areas need help most.

Proud that Defenders is using Google Earth as a tool to help change the world, a video explaining the site is being featured on Google Earth Heroes – a program that salutes ordinary individuals achieving extraordinary goals and shares their stories in the hopes that they will inspire even more initiatives to help make the world a better place.

Visit the Gulf Oil Spill Response and Recovery website at gulfoilspillrecovery.org and see how YOU can be a hero.

Join Defenders of  Wildlife board member Jeff Corwin as he continues to document how the Gulf oil disaster will impact wildlife in the region. In this Nightly News piece with MSNBC’s Brian Williams, Jeff dives right in to check on the health of the largest fish on the planet: the whale shark.

They may be large (growing up to 40 feet in length!), but whale sharks are gentle giants, feeding mostly on plankton filtered through their enormous mouths. Feeding at the base of the food chain, they are at great risk in a still oil-stricken Gulf. However, the sharks are also a great indicator species for the health of the entire Gulf ecosystem. By affixing tracking devices to their fins, researchers can follow the fish and the depth at which they swim.

“Now that this whale shark has been fitted with transmitters, we’ll now know if it’s coming into harm’s way.” Jeff explains from the water.

Photo courtesy of Jim Reid, USFWS

The gentle and curious “sea cow” is one of Florida’s iconic animals, and one of the country’s most imperiled marine creatures, with a population estimated at only 5,000. While manatees reside year-round in the coastal waters of Florida, in warm months they can be found all along the Gulf Coast, and are repeatedly sighted in coastal Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana in summer. In addition to the hazards posed by boats, cold weather, habitat loss, discarded fishing gear and red tides, manatees in the Gulf are now faced with a new threat: oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster.

There is little scientific information about the impacts of oil on manatees. But it is likely that oil would irritate their mucous membranes and oil vapors could inflame their lungs. Prolonged exposure could cause skin lesions, infections and organ dysfunction. Manatee calves, which have thinner skin and less fat, are at greater risk from oil exposure.

Read our new factsheet and learn more about how the Gulf oil disaster threatens the already endangered sea cow.