Striped dolphins swim through BP oil, April 2012 (NOAA’s National Ocean Service)

We’ll take a detailed walk through that history later. But first, the latest from the trial, where a senior BP official admitted on the stand yesterday that BP couldn’t be bothered to gather all available evidence during its internal investigation:

A BP team investigating the company’s Macondo well blowout that led to the explosion and fire that sank the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in April 2010 never received the results of tests of a light cement used to plug the well from cement contractor Halliburton, a senior BP official leading the investigation said Wednesday. Mark Bly, BP’s executive vice president for safety and operational risk, confirmed during testimony Wednesday afternoon that senior BP attorneys repeatedly demanded the test results and samples of the cement used on the rig from Halliburton, but that they were not made available to BP investigators before publication of the company’s investigative report that bears Bly’s name. [...]

Asked if BP and other investigative teams should have received those results, Bly said, “Yeah, I think people should share information that can help us learn about accidents.”

THIS is the brilliant, no-expense-spared legal strategy that BP has been warning Gulf oil disaster victims about? Look out, out-of-work fishermen – if you don’t take our lowball settlement, we’ll go on the witness stand and tell everyone how forehead-smackingly inadequate & lazy our own internal investigation was!

Legal experts are questioning the sanity of whoever at BP decided to go to trial:

Early witnesses have hammered BP for an “every dollar counts” culture that put profits over safety in the Gulf.

Legal experts familiar with the case expressed surprised that it ever got to trial, and said negative attention from the trial could hinder the company’s efforts to recover from the disaster. [...]

“A day or so more of this bloodbath and BP will get weak in the knees, raise its current $16 billion offer to $18 billion and settle with the U.S.,” [Loyola University College of Law professor Blaine] LeCesne said Wednesday.

As the National Wildlife Federation’s John Kostyack has laid out in detail, even that $18 billion figure could be much lower than BP’s true liability.

Did you expect BP, one of the world’s largest and most profitable corporations, to make better decisions? Why would BP start making good decisions now?

In the very first public relations class I ever took, we were given Tylenol’s response to the 1982 tampering attack as the best way to confront crisis. Put public safety first. Be completely honest and transparent. Do all that right, and winning back the public trust will be worth more than a $100 million ad campagin.

Instead, at literally every step of the way, BP has put profits over people and wildlife, rash action over data collection, and obstruction over transparency:

• Gulf safety plans were copied & pasted from other plans in completely different parts of the planet
• BP officials ignored warning signs that might have averted the Deepwater Horizon disaster that killed 11 workers and gushed over 200 million gallons of oil and other hydrocarbons into the Gulf of Mexico
• BP officials gave the public oil gusher flow rates that were as much as 53 times lower than the true rate
• As hundreds of dolphins and sea turtles and thousands of birds died in the oil disaster zone, BP officials worked to hide the dead from reporters
• Even before the gusher was capped, BP CEO Tony Hayward whined “I’d like my life back,” then jetted off to a yacht race
• BP’s oiled wildlife hotline was at times comically inefficient
• Instead of reaching a fair civil settlement, BP used its media connections to try to get let off the hook from a full payment for its mistakes

Dozens of Gulf activists rally outside BP trial, February 2013

Take Action

Since the first days of the Gulf oil disaster, the National Wildlife Federation has been fighting for justice for the Gulf’s people and wildlife. “The Gulf of Mexico is more than just a place where oil companies make enormous profits—it’s a public jewel where our children swim, where wildlife live, and where we get the food we eat,” NWF President & CEO Larry Schweiger said this week.

Please take a moment right now to ask U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to hold BP fully accountable for the reckless damage it caused to the Gulf and the wildlife and communities that depend on it.

Striped dolphins swim through BP oil, April 2012 (NOAA's National Ocean Service)

Based on comprehensive physicals of 32 live dolphins from Barataria Bay in the summer of 2011, preliminary results show that many of the dolphins in the study are underweight, anemic, have low blood sugar and/or some symptoms of liver and lung disease. Nearly half also have abnormally low levels of the hormones that help with stress response, metabolism and immune function.

Researchers fear that some of the study dolphins are in such poor health that they will not survive. One of these dolphins, which was last observed and studied in late 2011, was found dead in January 2012. [...]

NOAA is sharing the preliminary results from the study so that stranding responders and veterinarians can better care for live stranded dolphins and look for similar health conditions.

Since February 2010, more than 675 dolphins have stranded in the northern Gulf of Mexico (Franklin County, Florida, to the Louisiana/Texas border)–a much higher rate than the usual average of 74 dolphins per year, prompting NOAA to declare an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) and investigate the cause of death for as many of the dolphins as possible. The vast majority of stranded dolphins have been found dead; however, 33 have stranded alive and seven have been taken to facilities for rehabilitation.

Last year, the National Wildlife issued a status report on Gulf wildlife and ecosystems warning  to watch dolphin populations for “reduced fitness of adults” – exactly what NOAA is now detailing. ”The poor health of dolphins in the oil spill area was to be expected,” says NWF Senior Scientist Doug Inkley. “The Gulf oil disaster is to marine life what smoking is to humans – it could kill you, and if it doesn’t, your general health suffers.”

Dolphins aren’t the only species showing signs of long-term impacts. A study last year documented the oil’s impact on Gulf killifish, a critical part of the Gulf’s food chain.

Just last week, National Wildlife Federation staffers found oil remains in Barataria Bay marshes and discovered a dead pelican with oil on it. The trip was a reminder that Mississippi River Delta restoration is needed now more than ever. While the Senate passed the RESTORE Act as part of its transportation bill, the House has yet to act.

Speak Up for Gulf Restoration

Speak up for Gulf wildlife and ask your Members of Congress to protect the Gulf’s wildlife and communities by passing the RESTORE Act >>

Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard, Deepwater Horizon response.

BP returned to profit with a bang last year, posting net earnings of $23.9 billion on Tuesday, as the British energy giant prepared for a criminal trial over the US Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster. … [H]igher oil prices offset a drop in production, according to a group statement.

The London-listed energy major also signalled its recovery by hiking its shareholder dividend for the first time since the devastating April 2010 spillage that ravaged the company’s fortunes.

BP’s profits in the final three months of 2011 alone reached $7.69 billion. Combined, the five biggest oil companies made a record-high $137 billion in profits in 2011.

BP also reported $14 billion in cash on hand, and its CEO made clear he’s ready to pursue an Exxon Mobil-style legal strategy. “As I have said before, we are prepared to settle if we can do so on fair and reasonable terms, but equally, if this is not possible, we are preparing vigorously for trial,” said Bob Dudley.

NWF Staff Photo

BP has pledged to spend $500 million on marketing over the next two years and has spent millions on lobbying Congress.

Meanwhile, Congress still hasn’t passed the RESTORE Act, bipartisan legislation to dedicate BP’s fines and penalties to Gulf restoration.

Congress must act to make sure BP’s fines and penalties are dedicated to Gulf restoration, rebuilding critical wildlife habitat. Help protect the Gulf’s brown pelicans by urging Congress to pass the RESTORE Act now.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Built a Quarter Mile of Oyster Reef in Mobile, Alabama

Kicking off the first event with chilly, overcast conditions on January 22^nd and 23^rd, over 500 volunteers from Alabama and across the country came together in Mobile bay to foster the beginnings of oyster reefs. 16,000 bags of oyster shells were carefully dispersed along the shore with the goal of building 100 new miles of oyster reefs and 1000 miles of replanted marshlands along the Gulf in Alabama to make Alabama’s coastal areas more resilient to impacts from hurricanes, oil spill accidents, and climate change. The work was the result of a collaboration of more than 20 public and private partners including National Wildlife Federation, Nature Conservancy and NOAA.

Restored Native Ground Cover at Bald Point State Park

Next, volunteers gathered at Bald Point State Park on Florida’s Gulf Coast.  Park Ranger Kevin Patton introduced us to our work site for the next two days and we successfully worked in teams and planted 5,000 wiregrass plugs and disperse a dozen bags of seed. Bald Eagles and other migrating raptors, along with monarch butterflies use this area to rest before continuing south for the winter.  It is imperative to keep these lands healthy. Additionally, the Florida Wildlife Federation gathered signatures to petition for a constitutional amendment to prohibit oil and gas drilling in Florida’s near-shore waters.

Restored Dunes to Protect Nesting Wildlife at Perdido Key State Park

Next up, dune restoration in Perdido Key, Florida!  Joined by over 75 volunteers including the US Navy and Air Force at Pensacola, combed the beach to protect the critical habitat of residential and migratory nesting wildlife such as turtles and birds!  As the oil washed up on miles of beaches along the Gulf Coast, Perdido Key, home of the endangered Beach Mouse felt heavy impacts. Volunteers worked as temperatures reached the high 80s to rebuild and protect an important dune boundary to help native grasses and habitat for nesting shore birds, turtles, and the native beach mouse.

Conserved Acres of Beach and Recreation Trails

On March 25^th our next event was about 2 hours East of Perdido Key at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. University of California at Berkley students dedicated their spring break time away from examinations and study sessions to engage in hands on restoration work on some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. Joined by South Walton Community locals, we were able to accomplish clearing and marking 6 hiking trails, installing signs and effectively roping off over 3 miles of beach to protect the dunes and wildlife who nest there, and remove invasive exotic plant species to allow for native pitcher plant growth.

Restored the Marshes of Mississippi

Over 30 volunteers worked in Ansley Marsh which borders the Gulf and is a haven for migratory birds and many alligators.  Volunteers toiled in the sun with many insect friends to remove debris from Hurricane Katrina, plant marsh grasses and work on the removal of the very invasive Chinese tallow tree (popcorn tree).  The marsh is part of the gateway system protecting the open waters of the gulf from the shoreline homes of MS coastal communities.

Rebuilt Marsh in Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge

Last stop – West to Louisiana!  Tasked with planting over 20,000 grasses over two events (four days), National Wildlife Federation partnered with US Fish and Wildlife Service and  the Louisiana Wildlife Federation to make this goal a reality.  Just outside of New Orleans, Volunteers traveled to Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge to plant marsh grasses to restore lost habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife species.  This event almost fell exactly on the one year mark of the Gulf oil disaster. Ben Weber, NWF’s Oil Spill Response Coordinator for the Western Gulf said “Heightened public awareness, volunteer enthusiasm and support from NWF members is making a big impact.” On April 15^th and 16^th and over Memorial Day weekend, volunteers worked in high water levels on uneven muck and mud to space plants across the water five feet apart.  Mary Swantek who traveled with a group of 15 volunteers weighed in on her experience, “Working in the marsh just outside of New Orleans was a once in a life time experience.  We not only took an air boat ride to get to the work site but were surrounded by all kinds of wildlife, it was absolutely beautiful.  Crawling in 4 to 6 inches of water and planting marsh grasses was a bit intimidating at first but with adrenaline running high we were all there for one reason… to protect these lands and protect wildlife!” Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.   Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” Having had the opportunity to organize and travel to work hands on at several of these events, this quote takes on a new meaning for me.  The level of commitment, enthusiasm, and dedication to wildlife and wild spaces from volunteers who traveled near and far to work with National Wildlife Federation is astounding.  It is indisputable that our hard work from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, to Florida made a difference to local habitat and wildlife.

UPDATE: On June 25, 50 volunteers planted 1,600 black mangroves in Grand Isle, LA as part of the the Gulf Coast recovery effort.

Dolphins ride boat's wake off Mississippi, May 2010 (by NWF's Jeremy Symons)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has updated its website on the ongoing dolphin deaths in the Gulf of Mexico – and the news isn’t good.

“They are up to 145 stranded dolphins and 62 of those are babies. That’s up from 134 last week, with 59 babies,” reports Dr. Doug Inkley, the National Wildlife Federation’s senior scientist. “Because they aren’t releasing specific information about the individual animals found, it is a little hard to tell, but I can’t see any sign that there is a decline in this unusually high number of  total dolphin mortalities, although the proportion that are babies seems to be on the decline.”

Dr. Inkley says that so far in 2011, the dolphin death toll is at least 5 times higher than average.

The ongoing dolphin deaths aren’t the only concern for wildlife lovers right now. Reports say there’s now also a spike in the deaths of endangered sea turtles:

Since March 15, she noted, 39 deaths were confirmed in Mississippi, 4 in Alabama and 3 in Louisiana.

“The spring time is the typical time when turtle strandings in this region begin to increase,” Barclay added, “but the sharp increases in recent days are of concern.”

Sea turtle swims through oily gulf waters, May 2010

According to Dr. Inkley, endangered sea turtle stranding rates in March were 7 times higher than normal.

Only a fraction of marine life that dies of any cause will ever wash up on shore. But according to a new study, the number of dead dolphins and turtles that sink to the bottom of the ocean could be far higher than previously thought:

After analyzing historical data on populations and death rates of 14 species in the northern Gulf, the scientists determined that carcasses are found in only 2% of cetacean deaths.

“Thus, the true death toll could be 50 times the number of carcasses recovered, given no additional information,” they write, adding that they don’t know what the true figure is.

We’re still waiting to hear back on test results to see what might have killed these dolphins and turtles. Right now, scientists say the top suspects are:

• Unusually cold water in January & February
• Contamination from oil, dispersants, or both

Over the long run, the best thing we can do to help the Gulf’s wildlife survive is to commit to giving them a healthy place to live, feed, and raise their young.

Speak Up for Dolphins and Sea Turtles

Please take a moment right now to ask your members of Congress to pass oil disaster response legislation that devotes fines and penalties to coastal wetlands restoration.

Learn more about the National Wildlife Federation’s response to the Gulf oil disaster at NWF.org/OilSpill.

Dolphins swim next to oil booms at Petit Bois Island, MS, June 2010 (via Flickr's Deepwater Horizon Response)

I’d been wondering why we’ve heard so little in recent weeks about the spike in dolphin deaths along the Alabama and Mississippi coasts. Turns out federal officials have ordered scientists to keep quiet:

Wildlife biologists contracted by the National Marine Fisheries Service to document spikes in dolphin mortality and to collect specimens and tissue samples for the agency were quietly ordered late last month to keep their findings confidential.

The gag order was contained in an agency letter informing outside scientists that its review of the dolphin die-off, classified as an “unusual mortality event (UME),” had been folded into a federal criminal investigation launched last summer into [last year's BP] oil spill.

“Because of the seriousness of the legal case, no data or findings may be released, presented or discussed outside the UME investigative team without prior approval,” the letter, obtained by Reuters, stated.

A number of scientists said they have been personally rebuked by federal officials for “speaking out of turn” to the media about efforts to determine the cause of some 200 dolphin deaths this year, and about 90 others last year, in the Gulf.

Moreover, they said collected samples and specimens are being turned over to the government for analysis under a protocol that will leave independent scientists in the dark about the efficacy and outcome of any laboratory tests.

“The secrecy about baby dolphins dying in the Gulf makes no sense,” says Dr. Doug Inkley, the National Wildlife Federation’s senior scientist. “The public deserves to know what’s happening and why.”

Learn more about dolphin deaths in the Gulf oil disaster at NWF.org/OilSpill.

UPDATE 3/29: We’ve just discovered a new NOAA website with extensive data on the dolphin deaths.

Dolphins swim next to oil booms at Petit Bois Island, MS, June 2010 (via Flickr's Deepwater Horizon Response)

Dead dolphins continue to wash ashore along the Gulf Coast. One aspect of the deaths that’s puzzling scientists – the odd distribution of dead calves:

The percentage of calf deaths among the total number of dolphin deaths is considerably higher in Mississippi and Alabama.

Nineteen of the 25 in Mississippi are calves and 18 of the 20 in Alabama are calves.

But for the region as a whole — the four states that make up the northern Gulf — there have been 81 dolphins of all ages reported dead this year, of those, 43 are calves.

Whatever is killing baby bottlenose dolphins in this area hit by the BP oil spill, it seems to be worst along Mississippi and Alabama — one-sixth of the affected coastline.

Only two of six dead dolphins found in the Florida Panhandle were calves and only four of 31 found in Louisiana, where the coastal oil impact was greatest.

Scientists are focusing on the Gulf oil disaster and an unusual cold snap as possible causes.

“As always we have to stress that the mortalities and other effects we do see are a probably fraction of the total impact,” said Dr. Ian MacDonald, member of the National Wildlife Federation’s Science Advisory Panel. “Porpoises are keystone species and vital indicators of ecosystem health – the canary in the coal mine. Whatever the cause might be, this kind of event underscores the vulnerability of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem and should focus our resolve to see meaningful restoration begin now.”

Keep up with all the latest news on the Gulf oil disaster at NWF.org/OilSpill.

Dolphins swim next to oil booms at Petit Bois Island, MS, June 2010 (via Flickr's Deepwater Horizon Response)

The National Wildlife Federation continues to track dolphin deaths along the Gulf Coast. Today we’re learning some alarming new numbers about dead dolphins washing ashore in the heart of the area impacted by the Gulf oil disaster:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the number of dead dolphins found since Jan. 1 in the area affected by last year’s oil spill is now 67, with 35 of them premature or newborn calves.

[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] regional spokeswoman Kim Amendola says five dead calves were reported Friday in Mississippi or Alabama.

Federal officials are taking action in response to the wave of dolphin deaths:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the alarming cluster of recent dolphin deaths “an unusual mortality event,” agency spokeswoman Blair Mase told Reuters.

“Because of this declaration, many resources are expected to be allocated to investigating this phenomenon,” she said.

Although none of the carcasses bore outward signs of oil contamination, all were being examined as possible casualties of petrochemicals that fouled the Gulf of Mexico after a BP drilling platform exploded in April 2010, rupturing a wellhead on the sea floor, officials said.

Dr. Doug Inkley, senior scientist with the National Wildlife Federation, said today:

While any dolphin deaths are disturbing, there’s no way to know what killed these dolphins before necropsies are performed, and even those may not provide concrete answers. A number of factors could be in play, from disease to food shortages. Considering we know both living and dead dolphins were found with oil on them during the early months of the oil disaster, it’s fair to ask if toxic oil or dispersants could have played a role here. There could also be sickening-but-not-deadly oil effects on adult dolphins that have inhibited successful reproduction.

While we do not yet know if these dolphin deaths were associated with the Gulf oil gusher, we do know that the environmental health of the Gulf of Mexico has been in serious decline for a long time, a decline made even worse by the oil disaster. These dolphin deaths and the struggles of other wildlife in the region remind us that all wildlife need healthy places to live and raise their young, and the Gulf is in need of a large-scale restoration investment to provide these habitats.

Dr. Inkley and other National Wildlife Federation staffers have exhaustively cataloged the wildlife deaths documented in the disaster zone last spring and summer, including thousands of birds, hundreds of endangered sea turtles, and dozens of dolphins.

Watch Dr. Inkley discuss the dolphin deaths on CNN’s American Morning:

As the AP’s Jay Reeves reports, they’re an imperfect solution:

With its Macondo well dead and few visitors on the coast during the offseason, BP has launched its biggest push yet to deep-clean the tourist beaches that were coated with crude during the worst of the Gulf oil spill. Machines are digging down into the sand to remove buried tar mats left from the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

The work is getting mixed reviews. Many are anxious to see the beaches cleaned as quickly as possible by whatever means are available. Others say BP may be making matters worse by bringing heavy equipment onto beaches and spreading the petroleum stain.

Some fear fresh environmental damage from the work itself, which can kill tiny creatures that live in the sand. Even BP acknowledges that fresh tar balls are still hitting the coast, meaning some of the work might be premature. Still, local officials have given the company a Jan. 1 deadline to be done.

John Hammond, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Southeast Regional Center, visited Alabama’s Orange Beach to get a first-hand look at the operation. Watch what he found:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ben Raines at AL.com reports:

“But for the last two weeks, the Alabama coast has been one of the best places in the world to see the ocean’s largest fish, with dozens of sightings reported to a whale shark Web site by fishermen, scuba divers and pilots. The gigantic plankton-eating sharks have been seen as far east as Panama City and as far west as Petit Bois Island off Mississippi. But the bulk of the reports have come from the area between Orange Beach and Pensacola, with one sighting just two miles off the beach.”  

See full article: Includes video: of biologist discussing sightings.