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SCIENCEThursday 5 November 2015
Study: Reproduction of dolphins hurt by BP oil spill
CAIN BURDEAU In this Thursday, May 6, 2010, file photo, a pod of Bottle Nose dolphins swim under the oily water from when they swam in
Associated Press of Chandeleur Sound, La. the oil slicks covering Bara-
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Dol- taria.
phins living in a Louisiana Associated Press “Those health effects can
bay polluted by BP’s mas- last a long time,” Smith
sive 2010 offshore oil spill year after oil stopped leak- tions that were exposed to a year and a half for them said. “It’s not just fleeting.”
have had a very difficult ing from BP’s blown-out the Deepwater Horizon oil, to give birth. They only give Researchers estimated
time giving birth long after well, researchers tagged will take a long time to re- birth to a single calf every that there were about
their bay was covered in 32 dolphins and followed cover,” said Lori Schwacke, three to five years. In a re- 2,300 dolphins living in
slicks, a new study shows. them to see what hap- a wildlife epidemiologist cent report on restoring the Barataria at the time of
The government study is pened. with the National Oceanic Gulf, government scientists the spill and that about 35
the latest by a team of The new study found and Atmospheric Admin- say it could take decades percent of them died be-
scientists that has tracked they’ve suffered from a istration. She was the lead for mammal populations to cause of the spill.
the health of a population high mortality rate and researcher. recover from the spill. The Gulf Coast between
of common bottlenose chronic diseases that have Schwacke said data on BP declined to comment Alabama and Louisiana is
dolphins in Barataria Bay, hurt the animals’ ability to 2013 and 2014 reproduc- Tuesday on the study. home to the nation’s larg-
an estuary south of New reproduce. The study said tion rates show continuing Cynthia Smith, the execu- est population of dolphins,
Orleans covered in heavy the effects of the spill “have problems. Those data were tive director of the Nation- said Moby Solangi, the
slicks after BP’s April 2010 been long-lasting.” not included in the new al Marine Mammal Foun- head of the Institute for
oil spill off the coast of Loui- “The take-home message paper. dation and a researcher in Marine Mammal Studies in
siana. is that this dolphin popula- Dolphins are slow to reach the study, said the dolphins Gulfport, Mississippi.
The researchers tracked 10 tion, as well as other dol- reproductive maturity, and are most likely suffering Solangi, who was not part
pregnant dolphins for near- phin and whale popula- once they do it takes about lingering health problems of the study, said he wel-
ly four years and found that comed it, but that more
only two of the dolphins work needs to be done to
gave birth to calves. determine with even more
The study was published certainty the environmen-
Tuesday in the Proceed- tal insults the dolphins are
ings of the Royal Academy suffering from.
of Sciences in Britain. “Barataria was a polluted
BP PLC’s blown-out well bay prior to the oil spill, and
killed 11 workers aboard it will continue to be so,”
the Deepwater Horizon Solangi said. He said the
drilling rig and spewed long-term health of dol-
more than 130 million gal- phins, and other mammals,
lons (492 million liters) of oil depends on making sure
into the Gulf of Mexico in other sources of pollution
2010. are dealt with too, such as
After the spill, researchers other oil spills and contami-
found dolphins in Barataria nants carried down the
suffering from lung diseas- Mississippi River.
es and abnormalities they “You have to connect the
associated with exposure dots, and the dots have
to oil contamination. Since not been connected,” he
then, the dolphins have said. “We have to look at
become a focus of work to the overall ecosystem to
assess the effects from the see how these animals will
oil spill. recover.”q
In August 2011, about a
