Scientists debate cause of dolphin deaths

A bottlenose dolphin breaks the surface near Kennedy Space Center in this 2009 photo released by the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife March 3, 2011.
Credit: Reuters/USFW/Handout

Marine scientists are debating whether 80-plus bottle-nose dolphins found dead along the U.S. Gulf Coast since January were more likely to have died from last year's oil spill or a winter cold snap.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared "an unusual mortality event" last week when the number of dead dolphins washing up in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida had reached nearly 60, about half of them newly born or stillborn calves.

The death toll along shoreline has climbed to at least 82 since then, many times the normal mortality rate for dolphins along the Gulf Coast this time of year.

Although none so far showed outward signs of oil contamination, suspicions immediately turned to petrochemicals that fouled Gulf waters after a BP drilling platform exploded in April 2010, rupturing a wellhead on the sea floor.

Eleven workers were killed in the blast, and an estimated 5 million barrels (206 million gallons) of crude oil spewed into the Gulf over more than three months.

Scientists in the Gulf already were in the midst of investigating last year's discovery of nearly 90 dead dolphins, most of them adults, when officials became alarmed at a surge in dead baby dolphins turning up on beaches in January.

The latest spike in deaths, and a high concentration of premature infants among them, has led some experts to speculate that oil ingested or inhaled by dolphins at the time of the spill has taken a belated toll on the marine mammals, possibly leading to dolphin miscarriages.

The die-off has come at the start of the first dolphin calving season in the northern Gulf since the BP blowout.

But scientists at the independent Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Alabama suggested Thursday that unusually chilly water temperatures in the Gulf may be a key factor.

"Everyone wants to blame toxicity due to the oil spill, said Monty Graham, a senior scientist at the Dauphin Island lab. "The oil spill ... very well could have been the cause of the dolphin deaths. But the cold weather could have been the last straw for these animals."

He noted that water temperatures abruptly plunged from the upper 50s into the 40s off Dauphin Island in January, just before the first two stillborn calves found there were recovered. He said a second wave of dolphin carcasses washed ashore after temperatures dipped again.

Fellow Dauphin Island scientist Ruth Carmichael (left) called the arrival of the cold snap "incredibly compelling."

"The timing of the cold water may have been important because the dolphins were late in their pregnancies, about one to two months from giving birth. That might render them more vulnerable to temperature shocks," she said.

But NOAA officials discounted the significance of chilly weather, saying a similar cold snap in February 2010, months before the oil spill, was accompanied by higher-than-normal mortality among a range of wildlife, including fish and sea turtles. They also cited research showing bottle-nose dolphins tend to swim away from extremely cool waters.

"These animals have the ability to move away from cold. They don't stay around in cold water," said Moby Solangi,(at right) director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Scientists on both sides of the argument agreed that if frigid weather were to blame, the end of the die-off is likely at hand as warmer temperatures return.

But NOAA experts are bracing for the number of deaths to jump further as the bottle-nose calving season reaches full swing in the coming weeks, said Blair Mase, a marine mammal scientist for the agency. Some 2,000 to 5,000 dolphins in the region typically bear their young this time of year.
Source:
Reuters,"Scientists debate cause of dolphin deaths", by Leigh Coleman, accessed March 5, 2011

From the Inbox: Tell Obama: Save Polar Bears and Stop the Next Drilling Disaster

It’s outrageous! Right now, the Obama administration is setting the stage for America’s next offshore oil disaster.

Even as millions of gallons of oil from BP’s botched Deepwater Horizon drilling operation pollute the Gulf and threaten the people and environment of the Gulf of Mexico, the administration has so far failed to act to protect Alaska’s fragile and remote Chukchi Sea -- prime habitat for America's threatened polar bears -- from a similar catastrophe.

To help prevent the next drilling disaster and protect the lives of our polar bears, Defenders has joined with our friends at CREDO Action in a new campaign to stop harmful offshore drilling in this sensitive area -- but we need your help to win!

Please read the message below and take action to save our polar bears!

-- Rodger Schlickeisen, President, Defenders of Wildlife

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Tell Obama: Stop the Next Drilling Disaster Obama must act now to save an irreplaceable way of life. Obama's support for drilling in the Chukchi could doom this sensitive area's polar bears and native communities. Dear Friend, Last month, a federal court in Alaska found that the Bush administration violated the law when it approved oil and gas leasing in Alaska's Chukchi sea without sufficient information and analysis about risks to the Arctic environment. A different court found similar flaws with Arctic drilling plans in 2009. Yet, President Obama's administration has so far failed to revisit protections for the Chukchi - arctic waters off Alaska's coast that are home to some of America's remaining polar bears and key to the survival of Inupiat Eskimo communities. Please urge President Obama to take action now to save polar bears, bowhead whales and other wildlife - and the Alaska Native communities that rely on their health to survive - by preventing the next offshore drilling disaster. The Obama administration has asked the court in Alaska to allow activities that would pave the way for drilling to proceed, potentially jeopardizing an area key to the survival of not only polar bears, but also bowhead whales, Pacific walrus and other wildlife. The Gulf oil disaster clearly demonstrates the terrible risks of offshore drilling: Sea birds coated in oil and unable to fly; Seas turtles poisoned by toxic waters; and Wildlife habitat fouled by oil. And it could be much worse in the Chukchi. Thirty years after the Exxon Valdez disaster, there is still no effective, proven technology to clean up oil spills in broken sea ice conditions in Arctic waters, such as those found in the Chukchi Sea... a problem that could doom rare Arctic whales, threatened polar bears and other wildlife to extinction and destroy Inupiat communities if drilling proceeds. Help stop the next offshore drilling disaster! Tell President Obama to pull the illegal leases sold in the Chukchi Sea and halt seismic testing in the Arctic this summer. The courts and scientists have all said that more information is needed about the Arctic environment before we even consider drilling in its ice covered seas that are cloaked in darkness most of the year. The recent court decision provides the perfect opportunity for the Obama administration to take that time and really make sure we can protect the environment - before we jeopardize this fragile place, its wildlife and the people who count on it for the survival of their communities. To avoid another catastrophic offshore drilling disaster like the one now threatening the communities and wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico - and another Exxon-Valdez-like oil spill - we need a responsible approach to protecting the Chukchi. The Valdez spill decimated fisheries and continues to impact local wildlife and Alaskan communities to this day. And the Gulf oil disaster has killed thousands of animals and will impact the region's fragile ecosystems for years to come. Alaska native communities, polar bears... and the rest of America deserve better. Please send President Obama a message right now. Thanks for all you do, Becky Bond Political Director CREDO Action

From the Inbox: Our Work in the Gulf

Dear Friend, Your outpouring of concern and support really means a lot -- particularly to me. My name is Cindy Brown, and I am working with The Nature Conservancy's Gulf experts on a long-term conservation and restoration initiative for the Gulf of Mexico. Though the oil has stopped flowing into the Gulf, it’s too early to understand the full extent of the damage. Your support is what makes our work possible and I hope you'll take a moment to read this Gulf blog post from our President and CEO, Mark Tercek. The Nature Conservancy is focusing on getting back to our ongoing conservation projects and long-term efforts protecting the Gulf of Mexico. For more than 40 years, The Nature Conservancy has collaborated with communities, fishers, businesses, lawmakers and others like you to protect and restore the Gulf of Mexico. In the wake of the spill, we are now reaching out even more broadly, expanding our restoration plans and programs to help bring the Gulf truly back to health. View a report summarizing key action steps. The Gulf is arguably the nation's greatest natural resource, supporting the livelihoods of 24 million Americans from Florida to Texas and providing billions of dollars of goods and services to the entire nation. If you can, please make a safe and secure online gift to the Conservancy's Fund for Gulf Coast Restoration Given that the Gulf is one of the few places where a healthy environment is clearly linked to healthy communities and a healthy economy, your support is especially critical. On behalf of all The Nature Conservancy's staff and volunteers, especially those living and working along the Gulf coast, I thank you. Sincerely, Cindy Brown Director of the Gulf of Mexico Program The Nature Conservancy

From the Inbox: Is the crisis in the Gulf really behind us?

Dear Friend, Do you believe the crisis in the Gulf is behind us? BP would like us to believe so. But we don't believe it. Government statistics still can't tell us about what happened to most of the millions of gallons of oil that gushed from the well, and even more importantly how it's damaged ocean life. To get a full picture of this disaster, we need to know what's going on in the Gulf Today, we are getting set to launch our research expedition to find out. But we've got two months ahead of us and that equals a lot of fuel and supplies. Please donate today to ramp up our expedition TODAY, and a generous supporter will match every dollar, up to $50,000 This mission is vital and we need your help. Your donation will support our team understand how sharks, sea turtles, corals and other marine life have been affected by the oil and what we need to do to protect them over the long term. With your help, we'll be able to extend our research and get the facts.	Getting the Facts on the Oil Spill Today, we are beginning our two-month research expedition into the aftermath of the BP drilling disaster. Help support this trip by August 31 and your gift will be doubled. Make a Donation
Your gift goes twice as far when you donate today Thank you for your ongoing and dedicated support of Oceana. For the oceans, Jeff Wiedner Director of E-Activism Oceana

From the Inbox: The latest from the Gulf

Watch news footage from tour of the Gulf Dear Friend, Mariana Jiminez, a 71-year-old grandmother from the Ecuadorean Amazon, dips her hand into the oil-black water in the precious marshlands off Louisiana's Gulf coast and holds a dying, oil-drenched crab in her hand. She warns of the petroleum-laced water, "This is very very dangerous. This is a poison that kills. Not instantly, but it will kill slowly." This week, four Indigenous and community leaders from Ecuador (Mariana, Emergildo, Humberto and Luis), as well as advocates from Rainforest Action Network and Amazon Watch, are deep in Louisiana's sweltering Bayou witnessing the depth of BP's oil disaster. The Ecuadorean delegation has come to share the hard-won lessons from Chevron's Amazon oil disaster with the United Houma Nation and Atakapa-Ishak tribes, American Indian communities dependent on a healthy Bayou for their very survival. Every Indigenous person we meet expresses fear and anxiety about losing their ability to feed themselves and their families, and to continue their way of life on the water...all because of BP's greed-driven failures. These fears are by no means misplaced, as this is exactly what happened to the Indigenous peoples of Ecuador's rainforest, at the hands of Chevron Corporation. They too used to fish, but had to start farming to sustain themselves. They spoke of the family members they've lost from oil-related birth defects and illnesses, and warned the Houma of the long-term health problems they will be facing long after BP and the TV cameras have left their shores. As we walked along the deserted, oil-stained beach in Grand Isle, Brenda Dardar Robichaux, former Principal Chief of the United Houma Nation, explained how struck she was by the similarity of her story to the story of Indigenous peoples of the Ecuadorean Amazon. From Louisiana's Bayou to Ecuador's rainforest, you see the same oil-sheened waterways and dying animals. You smell the same toxic stench in the air. Families nurse their loved ones through oil-related illnesses, respiratory diseases, and cancers while being told the same lie by oil companies and politicians alike- "the oil won't hurt you." In the heart of Houma territory, these communities have come together to find ways to hold reckless, criminal oil companies like BP and Chevron accountable. Check out news footage of their first days touring the Gulf, as well as the incredible photos on Flickr. Thanks so much to all of you who donated to make this very special journey possible. You can follow the rest of the tour through the Gulf on We Can Change Chevron's Facebook page and @ChangeChevron on Twitter. In solidarity, Maria Ramos Change Chevron Campaign Director P.S. Donate now to support Rainforest Action Network's critical work to hold oil companies accountable and to support frontline communities from the Amazon to the Gulf.

From the Inbox: Free U.S. from Fossil Fuels

TAKE ACTION: It's Time For Independence From Fossil Fuels!
	On this Fourth of July, as the Gulf oil tragedy continues, let's tell President Obama to declare our independence from fossil fuels and start building a road to America's clean energy future!
Dear Friend, As we head into the Independence Day weekend, oil continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico—dramatic proof that we are not a free people when it comes to energy. We are chained to fossil fuels by decades of industry-dictated energy policies that prevent any real shift to sustainable, clean energy alternatives. The dire consequences of that dependence can no longer be denied: One of the greatest environmental tragedies of our time is playing out in the Gulf of Mexico, where millions of gallons of oil, mixed with toxic dispersants, are afflicting people, entire ecosystems and many other living creatures. Hundreds of miles of waterways and dozens of mountains in Appalachia have been destroyed by mountaintop removal coal mining to satisfy our need for electricity. From coast to coast, our air and water are filled with poisons and toxic matter emitted in the processes of mining, burning and disposal of coal. As easily obtained fuel supplies dwindle, we are seeing ever-more extreme and polluting methods of extraction used, creating greater risk to our communities, public lands and most treasured wild places, such as the Arctic. President Obama obviously understands what's at stake. Not so many days ago, he stood in the oil-soaked sands of the Gulf coast and said this nation can't afford a future that looks like the present. He said America must have a clean energy future. But the president stopped short of describing what that future looks like and how we are going to reach it. Let's tell the president that we want more than dreams. Let's tell him to draw a line in the sand, declare our independence from oil and coal, and then put our nation on a clear, well-defined road to reach that clean future, starting now when the nation is so aware of the terrible price we pay for fossil fuels. Of course, President Obama needs Congress to legislatively build that path, but most of all, he needs us to get behind him and push to make it happen. Even now, there's a fresh move in the Senate to get the long-delayed climate and energy legislation moving. It's a great opportunity for the president's fresh start, and we should tell him. Let's get going, Mr. President. The future of clean energy begins today. Lead us there: http://action.earthjustice.org/campaign/freedom_0710/i37iwdur475b3iim? — Earthjustice Because the earth needs a good lawyer

From the Inbox - Save the Gulf Coast - Help prevent another spill

Earthjustice has filed eight legal challenges aimed at putting the brakes on irresponsible oil development in the Gulf of Mexico. Donate to support our work by June 30th and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $75,000. Help save the Gulf today.

Save the Gulf! Donate by June 30th and your gift will be doubled in value. Help prevent another spill. Dear Friend, Since I last wrote to you about Earthjustice's response to the Gulf Coast oil catastrophe, our legal team has filed no fewer than eight separate lawsuits in order to prevent another spill off our Gulf Coast shores. And now, several generous members of the Earthjustice Board of Trustees have offered to match your support for our work dollar-for-dollar up to $75,000, now through June 30th. Help prevent another spill. Make an emergency contribution today that will be doubled in its value to our work to safeguard the Gulf. By law, the federal Minerals Management Service was supposed to require British Petroleum (BP) to provide adequate safety measures and response plans for a worst-case oil spill before granting the company a permit to drill. But the agency—through complacency, collusion, or neglect—waived these commonsense requirements. And now, coastlines, communities, and wildlife are paying the price as toxic oil poisons the water and washes ashore. Please make an urgent contribution that will be matched dollar-for-dollar. With your support, the Earthjustice legal team in the Gulf Coast is mounting an aggressive defense of the region, including... challenging the Mineral Management Service's illegal exemption of BP and other oil companies from critical safety and environmental requirements suing to block other deepwater Gulf of Mexico exploratory drilling plans that have already been approved using the illegal exemptions opposing the approval of BP's flawed and completely inadequate oil spill clean-up plan which allowed the company to conduct drilling in the Gulf forcing an examination of the environmental hazards associated with the unprecedented, wide-spread use of toxic chemical dispersants defending a temporary time-out on the drilling of new deepwater wells in the Gulf to allow for the implementation of safety and environmental protection measures Join the fight—support our legal actions to prevent another spill by June 30th and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar. We can't turn back the clock on this disaster—but our swift legal work can make darned sure that the conditions that led to it are never allowed again. With your support, we will turn the tide on irresponsible oil development in the Gulf and protect our nation's shorelines and the wildlife and communities that call them home. Thank you for all that you do. Sincerely, Trip Van Noppen President, Earthjustice P.S. Your emergency contribution made by June 30th will be matched in its value to our work dollar-for-dollar up to $75,000, thanks to the generosity of several members of the Earthjustice Board of Trustees. Donate today.

From the Inbox - CNN Telethon on Monday - NWF benefits!

Dear Friend, You’ve heard about the BP Gulf oil disaster for the past two months. You’ve seen oil-coated animals struggling — many of them dying. You’ve watched the fragile wetlands and waters fill with toxic ooze. Now’s your chance do something about it. Tune in to CNN from 8-10 p.m Eastern tonight for a two-hour telethon on Larry King Live called “Disaster in the Gulf: How You Can Help.” National Wildlife Federation is the only wildlife protection charity benefiting from the celebrity telethon, so please tune in, and tell your friends to watch, too. For those who are unable to view live, the telethon will be re-run from Midnight to 2 a.m. EST. Be one of the first people to show your support and give a gift online now. Every dollar will go directly to NWF’s Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund. Your gift of any amount will make a big difference, so please give today. Wildlife across the Gulf region are counting on you for their survival. Thank you for your support! Sincerely, Larry Schweiger President & CEO, National Wildlife Federation P.S. Remember to tune in tonight at 8:00 to the CNN Telethon to benefit Gulf wildlife affected by the BP oil spill. Please tell your friends to tune in too, and be sure to forward this e-mail to everyone you know. Tune in to Larry King Live on CNN 8-10 p.m. Eastern tonight for a telethon benefitting National Wildlife Federation. Be the first to support the telethon and give now! SHARE THIS!

From the Inbox: Robert Redford reflects on Gulf Oil Disaster

JUNE 2010, VOLUME 2
ROBERT REDFORD ON THE GULF OIL DISASTER "All the people on the coast who depend on fishing for their livelihood could be wiped out and the economic consequences are going to spread over the whole country. But maybe we needed it to be that bad to wake us up. We have to get off of our dependence on oil." Watch Robert Redford now. Get full coverage of the Gulf oil spill from NRDC's experts. View OnEarth's video on the threat posed to the Gulf Coast seafood industry. What to Do About E-waste We dump about 2.6 million tons of electronic waste annually, poisoning waterways and adding to the toxic load of our planet. But you can keep your e-waste from adding to the burden -- read the guide. Help NRDC win $200K from the TakePart.com Members Project! Thanks to your help, NRDC made it to the second round of voting for the TakePart.com Members Project! Please take this opportunity to vote in the new round: -- Go to www.takepart.com and click the "Join TakePart" link at the top of the page. -- Fill out the two-step registration process. -- Click the orange "Get Involved" button on the right side of the page. -- Click "Vote" or "See all the Candidates" and can cast your vote for NRDC. Vote now!		Tell your senators to pass energy legislation that will prevent future oil spills. Take action now. The Philippe family has called Louisiana's Grand Bayou home for centuries. But with vast amounts of oil still spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, the waters that sustain the fish, oysters, and shrimp they rely on are threatened, along with the family's future. Watch their story. Lisa Suatoni, senior scientist The Many Pathways (and Impacts) of the Oil - From Surface to Sea floor "It's important to keep in mind that the oil that hits the shoreline is what well-respected marine ecologist Jeremy Jackson calls, the 'ring around the bathtub.' This is the oil that we can see. And, in the case of Gulf oil disaster, it is only a fraction of the more than 18 million gallons of oil that have flooded into the Gulf of Mexico. The majority of it remains dissolved or dispersed throughout the Gulf's waters -- largely out of our sight." Read the full post.

From the Inbox - What BP doesn't want you to see

Dear Friend, I just finished watching this video -- and I hope every American sees it. Philippe Cousteau, grandson of famous explorer Jacques Cousteau, went underwater off the Gulf Coast to see first-hand what the Deepwater Oil Disaster looks and feels like. And the answer he came back with: "This is a nightmare." Watch this video and share it with all your friends. We've seen the oil start to wash up on shore, and we've seen satellite images of the slick. But that's only the tip of the iceberg: Take a look at the underwater impact of the oil geyser and the dangerous chemicals BP is using to "disperse" it -- effects that could last for decades, even if today's risky "Top Kill" maneuver to plug the well works. It's never been clearer: The consequences of our dependence on oil, from the Deepwater Oil Disaster to the climate crisis, are completely unacceptable. Sincerely, David Boundy Campaign Manager Repower America