Sea Turtles, Dolphins, and Whales and the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
· Sea Turtle Data
· NOAA Joins Forces with Partners to Protect Sea Turtles in Face of Oil Spill |
|
Sea Turtles, Marine Mammals, and Other Wildlife
If you find an oiled, injured, or dead marine mammal, sea turtle, or bird, please contact:
- Dolphins and Whales
1-877-WHALEHELP (1-877-942-5343) - Manatees
FL: 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922)
LA, MS, and AL: 1-904-731-3079 - Sea Turtles
TX: 1-866-TURTLE5 (1-866-887-8535)
LA: 1-337-962-7092
MS: 1-888-SOS-DOLPHIN (1-888-767-3657)
AL: 1-866-SEA-TURT (1-866-732-8878)
FL: 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922)
Marine Wildlife Documented in the Area
Species documented include those collected from directed captures and from strandings. They are documented by date observed as well as by disposition:
- Visibly Oiled
- Not Visibly Oiled
- Pending Further Data
NOTE: Blank cells in the tables indicate no effort that day (e.g., weather conditions may have prohibited traveling offshore), meaning there were no vessels searching offshore for sea turtles and marine mammals.
Data Summary for Affected Species
through April 12, 2011
(click for more details in larger view PDF document)
NOTE: All data is preliminary. This data is continually being updated and will be considered preliminary until all necropsies have been completed.
Detailed Data by Species
Timeline
- April 20, 2010 - A fire and explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) drilling platform. Marine mammal and sea turtle "MC252 Spill Stranding Response" begins.
- July 15, 2010 - DWH Wellhead was successfully capped. No new oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico.
- early August 2010 - On-water teams report that surface oil is no longer visible in the Gulf of Mexico.
- October 20, 2010 - Stranding response for sea turtles transitioned out of MC252 Spill Response and back to the traditional Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network. Sea turtle strandings after Oct 20th are not being reported through the unified command unless they are confirmed to be oiled.
- November 3, 2010 - Stranding response for marine mammals transitioned out of MC252 Spill Response and back to the traditional Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program
- December 3, 2010 - Marine Mammal MC252 Stranding Response has been reinstated for central and eastern LA. Since Dec 3rd, new oiled and non-oiled animals are reported on the above spreadsheet for Louisiana ONLY. Marine Mammal strandings in MS, AL, and FL are not being reported through the unified command unless they are confirmed to be oiled and therefore will not be included on these summary spreadsheets.
- May 25, 2011 - Marine Mammal MC252 Stranding Response has stepped down for central and eastern Louisiana. All marine mammal and sea turtle strandings in the northern Gulf of Mexico has now transitioned back to the traditional Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program and Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network.
More Information on the Oil Spill
- Joint Wildlife Report (Birds, Turtles, Marine Mammals)
Note: The information presented in the joint wildlife report comes from the same data as the expanded sea turtle and marine mammal reports linked above, which include more detailed information on the species composition. - NOAA's Incident Response
- NOAA Science Missions & Data on the Oil Spill- including Water Column and Subsurface Oil Monitoring Data, NOAA Ship Missions, and more
- NOAA Gulf Oil Spill Education Resources
- NOAA's Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Technique [pdf]
- State Wildlife Agencies:
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE)
Updated: September 12, 2011
