The Animals Most Screwed By The BP Oil Spill Part 2

So what are the effects of the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill? Well a whole bloody lot! We’ve seen enough stories detailing the repercussions to the economy, the ocean, and even the Obama administration. Either way we all now agree that Tony Hayward sucks, so lets check out the other living beings BP is screwing over besides obnoxiously greedy persons of public interest. Be sure to check out Animals Getting Totally Screwed By The BP Oil Spill Part 1.

And the Animals Getting Totally Screwed By The BP Oil Spill Are:

Whales

The great big fish is already on the endangered species list with onlyy a few thousand remaining & like dolphins, whales are vulnerable to ingested or inhaled oil. Two species inhabit the Gulf: Bryde’s whale and the sperm whale. Both are at risk, but the sperm whale is especially vulnerable. With only a handful deaths of these dead it can greatly affect the entire population as they do not breed unlike other small animals every other day.

Manatees

These cow-like coastal mammals spend their winters in Florida waters and migrate northwest to Alabama during the summer. So if the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill is not cleaned by the approaching winters it could severely kill vast nos. of them. Evenso they are migrating in large nos. They could be in trouble if oil contaminates their shoreline habitat or the vegetation they eat. Manatees are also very “touchy-feely” with one another, she said, so oil on one manatee could contaminate a whole herd.

Horseshoe Crabs

The oil spill and subsequent clean-up could be a double threat for horseshoe crabs, according to Carmichael. These bottom dwellers are the scavengers feeding off organic material on the ocean floor. The crabs could easily ingest sunken tarballs and poison themselves.

Those crabs that avoid the oil could fall victim to the clean up on land. Horseshoe crabs spawn along beaches. The beaches are also being heavily trafficked by human clean-up crews. Even on contaminated land they won’t be able to spawn

Beach mice

An endangered mice the Alabama beach mouse, Perdido Key beach mouse, Choctawhatchee beach mouse and St. Andrew beach mouse – are all in danger if oil reaches their shores. Beach mouse habitat has been lost to development and storms and domestic and wild cats hunt the nocturnal rodents for food. Each species has a limited range, and habitat devastation caused by oil could make it tough for beach mice to survive.

Brown Pelicans

The last time it was the pesticide DDT that nearly destroyed the brown pelican population in the late 1950s, and it was only after decades of struggle that the species (the state bird of Louisiana) got off the endangered list in late 2009. Only to be caught up again in the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill threat. Birds are particularly affected by oil because it clings to their feathers, disabling their ability to fly. Oiled feathers are no longer remain waterproof, which means that birds may die of hypothermia (extreme cold). Or they may ingest oil while grooming themselves, causing organ damage and death. Brown pelicans like to rest on the ocean surface and dive beneath for food, all of which puts them in danger of oil contamination

Plankton

Planktons are the first in food chain. One of the greatest costs of the oil spill may also be the most invisible. Plankton are the basis of the marine food web. The word encompasses everything from algae to animal larvae. Oil contamination of some species may result in death , while others may bloom to excess. The loss of some species could leave fish and other ocean dwellers without a meal to eat, while the proliferation of others could use up all of the oxygen in certain water layers. Meanwhile, oil can kill eggs and larvae, which could mean trouble for future generations of fish and crustaceans.

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