Unique Sea Horse Species Threatened

We still have a long way to go until we find out the true and complete impact of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

This is from the University of British Columbia's "Project Seahorse."

A species of seahorse unique to the waters of the Gulf Coast could face extinction because of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, warns marine conservation organization Project Seahorse. Without careful intervention, the dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae) could virtually disappear within a few years, while many other fish populations, including several other species of seahorse, face a similarly bleak future as cleanup continues.

“We’re very worried,” says Assoc. Prof. Amanda Vincent, director of Project Seahorse at the University of British Columbia and a leading expert on seahorse conservation “All of the seahorse populations in the area will be affected, but the dwarf seahorse is at greatest risk of extinction because much of its habitat has been devastated by the spill.”

Another Depressing Oil Spill Story!

It's the "gift" that keeps on giving.

From the Khaleej Times Online/AFP...

Scientists studying the massive BP oil spill fear a decades-long, “cascading” effect on marine life that could lead to a shift in the overall biological network in the Gulf of Mexico.

With some 400 species estimated to be at risk — from the tiniest oil-eating bacteria to shrimp and crabs, endangered sea turtles, brown pelicans and sperm whales — experts say the impact of oil and chemical dispersants on the food chain has already begun, and could grow exponentially.

“A major environmental experiment is underway,” Ron Kendall, director of the Institute of Environmental and Human Health at Texas Tech University, told AFP.

Funny BP "Commercial"

I thought this was kind of funny. From "Barely Political"...

Everything You Want to Know about the Gulf of Mexico/Deepwater Horizon Disaster

All here at the Encyclopedia of Earth site. It keeps being updated so check in from time to time.

Marine Animals Trying to Escape from Oil Spill

From ShortNews.com....literally, short, short news!

Like forest creatures trying to escape a fire, marine animals such as dolphins, sharks, mullets, crabs, rays and fish are congregating in surprisingly shallow waters off the Florida coast line as they flee the encroaching oil spill.

Meanwhile, oil-covered birds crawl deep into swamps and don´t come back out. Scientists say that these animals wouldn´t behave like this if their normal habitat had not been destroyed, and now they may compete for oxygen in close quarters.

Sea Turtle Breeding Threatened by Oil Spill

Each day, I'm having a harder and harder time wrapping my mind around the enormity of this disaster and its ecological impacts.

Here's an article about the potential impacts on sea turtles, many starting to show up dead or sick.

More Bad News for Birds in the Gulf

Here's an article exploring whether it's pointless to try to rescue oiled bird in the Gulf.

This article states that most of the oiled birds probably won't even show up before they eventually die, so we'll never know how many have actually been killed.

The Unknown Costs of the Oil Spill

This post on Mongabay.com discusses whether we'll ever know the full extent of the oil spill's impact on wildlife. There are many animals that are "charisma species" that capture our attention, like pelicans and turtles, but what about the animals farther down on the food chain that we don't see. They may not be cute and charismatic, but they are the ones that support those that are.

Obama to Reopen Offshore Oil Drilling in Shallow Waters

He is going to add new safety regulations, but I don't like off-shore oil drilling AT ALL! At least BP will hopefully get nailed with lots of penalties. Although it doesn't really matter because those dead animals will never get their lives back and who knows if the habitat will ever fully recover.

From the Wall Street Journal....

The Obama administration, facing rising anger on the Gulf Coast over the loss of jobs and income from a drilling moratorium, said Monday that it would move quickly to release new safety requirements that would allow the reopening of offshore oil and gas exploration in shallow waters.

Gulf Coast residents, political leaders and industry officials said delays in releasing the new rules, along with the administration's six-month halt on deepwater drilling—both issued amid public pressure—threatened thousands of jobs.

Well-owner BP PLC, meanwhile, faces penalties "in the many billions of dollars," for the Deepwater Horizon drilling disaster that has been spewing an estimated minimum 12,000 to 19,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf, said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. The costs of the spill will "greatly exceed" the amount BP could recoup by selling any of the captured oil on the market, he said Monday.

BP CEO Seems Like A Jerk

He definitely doesn't endear himself to me.

Update on Gulf Oil Spill

Wildlife getting hit hard. What a mess.

Here's a good update on where we're at.

Is BP Hiding Dead Animals?

That is the issue raised by this blog post.

A CBS News crew was threatened with arrest when it tried to photograph the spill, and a BP representative in Louisiana told a Mother Jones reporter that she couldn’t visit the Elmer’s Island Wildlife Refuge without a BP escort. TP has the story in this repost.

On Monday, journalists from the New York Daily News were also “escorted away from a public beach on Elmer’s Island bycops who said they were taking orders from BP.” However, they managed to get a covert tour of the Queen Bess barrier island from a BP contractor who is fed up with the oil company’s attempt to cover up the disaster:

Dissatisfaction with Oil Spill Cleanup Increases

People are apparently getting more pissed at both Obama AND BP.

This situation totally sucks. I just think the minute that rig blew up, the result was inevitable. I think that the magnitude of this disaster is not a question of cleanup, but of prevention in the first place. We can get mad at BP and Obama, but the problem is that this was a disaster waiting to happen. If not BP, then it would have been someone else.

And whose fault is that? Ours. For not paying attention and allowing oil companies to get away with "voluntary compliance."

Greenpeace Activists Threatened with Terrorism Charges

It's bullshit and there is no way this can stand, but the fact that it's even been threatened is ridiculous. These people are protesters, not terrorists. This is just a tool to silence criticism of large corporations.

From the New York Times' Green Blog....

Charges have been filed against seven members of Greenpeace who boarded an offshore drilling support ship in a Louisiana port and painted anti-drilling slogans in crude oil on the vessel’s side on Monday afternoon...

The activists were charged with unauthorized entry of “critical infrastructure” and of an inhabited dwelling, according to the Lafourche Parish sheriff’s department. Both counts carry a maximum penalty of six years in prison...

A spokeswoman for the Lafourche Parish sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Lesley Hill Peters, suggested that the protesters could also face terrorism-related charges. The New Orleans Joint Terrorism Task Force “is looking into the matter,” she said.

Birds Suffering from Oil Spill

Pelicans unable to fly due to being coated with oil. It's the Exxon Valdez all over again.

Several pelicans were coated in oil on Barataria Bay off Louisiana, their usually brown and white feathers now jet black. Pelican eggs were glazed with rust-colored gunk, and new hatchlings and nests were also coated with crude.

It is unclear if the area can even be cleaned, or if the birds can be saved. It is also unknown how much of the Gulf Coast will end up looking the same way because of a well that has spewed untold millions of gallons of oil since an offshore rig exploded more than a month ago.

More Bad Press for BP

In this article, they admit they underestimated the scope of the oil slick.

This article talks about how BP skipped some testing of cement linings hours before the explosion occured. These cement linings were basically the well's seal. How did this decision contribute to the disaster?

Oil Spill Visuals Finally Arriving

Yep, the spill is reaching land and you can go here for a slide show of the impacts.

Funny how Governor Bobby Jindal is one of those Republicans who wants less government, but then holds out his hands for federal government help on the cleanup.

Gulf Oil a Looming Threat to Marine Life

So far, we're not seeing the large-scale impact of this oil spill on marine life. But there are concerns out there. It may not be immediate, like oil-coated birds, but slower and more subtle, like the effect on oxygen levels in the sea. This is a complex ecosystem we're dealing with.

From NPR...

Especially troubling to scientists are the effects the oil and dispersants could be having on dissolved oxygen levels in the water. Scientists fear the oil will make it difficult for marine animals to obtain the oxygen they need to survive. Scientists have already observed some dying fish.

Suit Filed Against the Minerals Management Service

Good!

From Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine...

The Southern Environmental Law Center and Defenders of Wildlife filed suit challenging the Minerals Management Service’s (MMS) complicity in the Gulf oil disaster and continued lax oversight of oil drilling operations, including its failure to require a thorough examination of spill risks from exploratory drilling operations like the Deepwater.

Dead Marine Animals Showing Up Along Gulf Coast

But so far, it looks like the oil spill is not to blame. But why did 60 dead endangered turtles wash up over three weeks? And what about the dead dolphin? Seems odd, although officials with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality said that fish they've tested have not been killed by oil, but a lack of oxygen in the water. They also say low oxygen levels are common this time of year due to changes in temperature.

Still, though, 60 sea turtles over 3 weeks? Seems like an awful lot...