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:

Since the Gulf oil disaster there’s evidence of health and behavior changes in the native red crab population. “They’re not defending their turf,” said Harriet Perry, director of the Center for Fisheries Research and Development at Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) in Ocean Springs, Miss.

Live red crab held by Harriet Perry. Photo: Belinda Serata/NWF

Perry, a hands-on field biologist who has been studying Gulf fisheries for more than 30 years, can see something different happening.

Just 12 miles from the Deepwater Horizon well head, red crabs are being displaced by a deepwater, grey shelled giant isopod called Bathynomus giganteus.

Isopods are crustaceans, usually shrimp-sized or smaller, resembling woodlice or what kids call roly-polies. Bathynomus, a deep sea critter that’s been scavenging ocean floors for about 160 million years, is big — usually about a foot long. One specimen brought up the Gulf’s depths measured more than two feet long.

But the crustacean’s size isn’t news; the fact that red crabs are being pushed around by Bathynomus is.

In the area near the wellhead, traps that historically caught more than 30 crabs each came up with very few live crabs, most were dead. “They had enough energy to get in the trap and normally they will survive the trip from the bottom to the surface and do well,” said Perry. But the few live crabs that made it to the surface were weak and lethargic.

The face of Bathynomus giganteus. Photo: Belinda Serata/NWF

The real surprise came when traps brought up Bathynomus instead of the previously abundant red crab. “Being that close to the well and knowing how much oil and dispersant went into the water, I really anticipated no catch in that area and was surprised when we did get animals,” said Perry. “We saw no obvious signs of oil. When crabs or isopods came up in the traps they weren’t oily but they were stressed,” she added. Which is to say, most of the Bathynomus were dead on arrival or close to it. Within days all were dead.

 Deep-sea crab surveys have been few and far between. There were several studies in the Gulf of Mexico in the late 1980s and early 90s so there are some historic data on the populations. The red crab has supported a commercial fishery in New England and there are more data on that fishery because it’s managed. Because there’s no current commercial fishery of red crabs in the Gulf, and there won’t be one any time soon (hauling traps up from 3,000-6,000 foot depths isn’t very profitable), there’s only the existing science that can be used to assess the impacts of oil on this deepwater community.

So in keeping with the federal government’s 50-year-long “Let’s just put 4,000 oil and gas wells into the Gulf of Mexico; what could go wrong?” program, there’s no immediate funding to support new trapping sets. “We don’t know where the crabs went, or why,” said Perry.

Scientists don’t know if red crabs were displaced by Bathynomus because something weakened them physically or they responded to some adverse environmental change, like low oxygen or oil in the water. We also don’t know if they have moved down the slope, though they’re limited to a narrow band on the steep slope where the temperature stays around 41° F.

What’s most worrisome is that the unexpected displacement of red crabs by Bathynomus may be an indication of other post-oil-spill surprises to come.

Perry has collected red crab tissue samples —fat glands, gonads, gills and muscle tissue — to send to several labs for analysis.

“They’re totally tied to the bottom and we know from a previous study that they accumulate heavy metals in their tissues,” said Perry. “That’s one reason we are interested in looking at the heavy metal content of their tissues following the spill,” she added.

Also, the labs will analyze for compounds that make up Corexit, the dispersant BP sprayed on the water surface and, later, poured directly into the oil spewing from the well head on the sea floor and for petroleum compounds.

“There’s something going on down there and we need to understand it,” said Perry.

To see what a red crab & a giant isopod look like side by side, visit NWF on Flickr. To learn more about the National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf oil disaster response, visit NWF.org/OilSpill.

Even though it’s been more than seven months since the Deepwater Horizon sank off the coast of Louisiana, our volunteers remain vigilant!

As Dr. Doug Inkley, the National Wildlife Federation’s senior scientist who’s made multiple trips to the Gulf, has warned:

“The Exxon Valdez disaster was not simply one ecosystem earthquake – the aftershocks have continued to this day. What tremors are still to come in the Gulf?  The aftershocks of the Gulf oil disaster will continue to cast a long shadow of uncertainty on the Gulf ecosystem and the livelihoods of those who depend upon it for years to come.”

From the first days of the disaster, the National Wildlife Federation has had tremendous response from volunteers ready to locally engage.

It is crucial to gain accurate information and thanks to our volunteers we’ve been able to gain information on the exact locations of oil sightings, oiled wildlife, and more.

I look forward to my daily emails with dedicated volunteers, not just for the information they report but for their passion for their work.  Since reporting began, we have received thousands of pictures and stories as our volunteers observe areas in the Gulf.

Reporting from Mississippi, volunteer Eric Richards describes his experience:

“The area that I have observed is from the Mississippi coast out 12 miles and from the Alabama line westward approx. 25 miles.  I have learned more about the interdependencies between all marine life.   As far as the spill’s effects, there has been little VISIBLE damage seen in the area that I observe.  What I do not know is what has happened at the macro level.  These impacts may not be visible for months or years later. I feel that the observations are important by people like me who can help the scientific community zero in on areas that are showing changes over time.

“The most noticeable damage was a slug of oil that entered a 7 acre pond on Horn Island and affected approx. one acre of marsh grass.  I have been observing this spot since the contamination months ago and have been pleased to see that the marsh still appears to be healthy except for the oil stains.  Marine life is still plentiful in this area.”

To learn more about the National Wildlife Federation’s response to the Gulf oil disaster, visit NWF.org/OilSpill. You can also sign up to stay informed about oil spill volunteer opportunities.

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Last week, I took one on the chin for the volunteer coordinators of the Wildlife Surveillance Teams – I had to go to Petit Bois Island, one of the barrier islands off the Mississippi Coast, with a few of our team members for a little photo documentation. Of course, the goofy grin I couldn’t keep off my face may have given me away. I did catch one of the team members looking at me suspiciously, but I studiously raised my camera to distract her.

One of the bonuses of the trip was the extra team members onboard. We were blessed with Igor and Lee Vorobyoff, a semi-retired couple from California, who had traveled to the Mississippi Coast after the oil spill to help by monitoring wildlife. This was their last night before leaving town, and nature managed a good show for our awe-struck volunteers.

Photo: Lee and Igor studying a juvenile horseshoe crab shell.

Lee wanted to see dolphin, so we obliged by whistling up several pods for her (don’t try this at home). Although they were shy at first, we finally found a pod that wanted a little attention just south of the island. The group we finally managed to photograph numbered at least twenty plus a few calves.

When we first approached the island, a cloud of birds rose from the sugar-sand beach. Still a few hundred yards from shore, I called “look at that”! We watched as several clouds of birds lifted off the sand and then settled back down. This area of the island was covered in hundreds of birds, and we decided to stay in the water for a bit and tried not to look up with our mouths open.

Most of the birds on the west tip and south side of the island were royal terns, least terns and laughing gulls, although we did spot a few Oystercatchers. Schools of minnows (or minners depending on where you’re from) hid behind the boat as the birds hovered and then dove in delight as they spotted their prey.

We found pelicans among the terns and gulls on the northeast end of the island. The boom still in place corralled the fish and provided a feast for the birds.

When we finally stepped out on the island, we walked around for a bit as our boat captain, Wildlife Surveillance team volunteer Eric Richards explained some of the wonders of this particular barrier island. He pointed out an osprey nest in an area of dead trees – victims of Katrina surge. As we walked back toward the boat over the dune, we also found an alligator track, a small gator but a hopeful sign.

It was a beautiful day and a welcome way to spend it. We appreciate all our wildlife surveillance volunteers and their efforts to monitor our beautiful and valuable wildlife. And if you need to monitor the islands or any of our other scenic habitats, I’m sure you could twist my arm to come along for a little photo documentation.

Sign up to join NWF’s Gulf Surveillance and Restoration Volunteers >>

Find out more about NWF’s Oil Spill work >>