Thousands of seabirds were left stranded due to oiled feathers.
On April 20, 2010, the greatest environmental disaster in U.S. history occurred when a BP-operated oil rig on the Gulf of Mexico exploded. Eleven crew members tragically lost their lives and the nearly 1.5 million U.S. gallons of oil discharged from the broken well per day over a period that lasted three months was responsible for the lives of over 400 animals. The most visibly affected wildlife were sea birds, whose bodies had become covered in black, sticky oil.
Poisoning
Many animals were poisoned by petroleum products. A pelican may become poisoned by eating a fish that has taken a vast amount of oil into its tissue. A young animal may become poisoned by absorbing oil from its mothers milk. Contaminated environments lead to contaminated eggs and newborn. A contaminated area can also lead to dehydration as animals reduce drinking and swimming to search for food.
Immobility
Birds cannot simply wash off the oil stuck to their bodies, in the water. In fact the oil becomes stickier over time due to weathering. Among the more obvious observations was birds' restriction of movement due to feathers becoming matted. This means the birds struggle to fly away from the stricken area and become vulnerable to predators. Fur seals are also inhibited when the oil sticks their flippers to their bodies.
Drowning
Feathers coated in thick oil become much heavier and lead to birds sinking and eventually drowning because sticky feathers cannot trap enough air to keep them buoyant. Fur seal pups drown if their flippers get stuck to their bodies.
Breathing
Land animals living along the coastline rely on the gulf waters for drink and on the life found within the waters for their food. With their whole lives focused around the coastal bays they would have naturally breathed in the vapors created by the oil spill. Oil fumes, droplets and gases when breathed in would have damaged the airways and lungs of marine life, such as dolphins, and led to congestion, emphysema, pneumonia and often death.
Ingesting
Animals that feed, drink and swim in the gulf unavoidably ingested the oil found in the water. Fish are attracted to oil in the water because to them it looks like food. Sea birds, particularly young brown pelicans became more vulnerable by diving through pools of oil to get the fish. Ingesting even non-poisonous oil can cause ulcers and internal bleeding.
Long-Term Effects
The millions of gallons of oil spilled into the sea could have completely wiped out entire species of deep sea marine life, which may never recover. It is believed the ocean floor and coral reefs may change irrevocably. The largetooth sawfish became listed as a federally endangered species just three weeks after news of the spill broke out. The brown pelican, the state bird of Louisiana, has likewise become a critical concern. The timing of the spill could not have been worse in that many coastal animals start their mating and reproduction processes around April.
