Mystic Aquarium

Allison D. Tuttle, DVM, Diplomate ACZM
Staff Veterinarian & Director of Animal Care

My eyes were opened to the true gravity of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill during my recent trip to Baton Rouge to attend a working group symposium on the oil spill situation sponsored by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership.

The White House asked for this meeting, and leaders from all areas convened to discuss the current action plan related to the oil spill and prioritize goals moving forward in four areas: quantifying oil spilling into the Gulf; tracking and projecting oil movement; and studying the ecosystem and socioeconomic effects of the spill. Government experts, representatives from funding organizations and scientists were all present to offer opinions and input, and BP sent representatives keen to listen and provide assurance that required actions would be taken.

As a veterinarian, I was naïve to the challenges of determining details I thought were simple to calculate. For example, how do we quantify the amount of oil spilling out, or how do we best project where the ocean currents will carry it? I was surprised to learn that our top oceanographic scientists, both government and academic alike, were similarly perplexed. I was eager to discuss with my working group the impact of the oil on the ecosystem, and most specifically, on the living components ranging from the macrofauna to the smaller creatures of greater total biomass that support the food web. The comprehensive effects of this spill on the Gulf ecosystem will likely be immeasurable, but it is of paramount importance that the health of our wildlife species, especially those of threatened or endangered status or that are fished for human consumption, is assessed to the fullest potential and with the best science, and that the balance of the environment that sustains these animals be gauged and supported.

And let’s not forget the people! Unfortunately, in all its facets and in the extent that it touches the livelihoods, environment and morale of Gulf coast people who have already endured so much, this spill may very well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. I’m not a socioeconomic expert, but it strikes me that the magnitude of the oil spill’s effects on human beings has received a lesser degree of attention than its effects on the ecosystem.. But the consequences may reach even beyond what will occur environmentally.  I’m overwhelmed with compassion for the Gulf population, those who will undoubtedly be affected both directly and indirectly by this spill, and for the teams from the government and science sectorsand from BP, who are working so hard with little quantifiable effect or recognition at stopping the spill, containing the oil and assessing the ever-changing state of affairs in that region.  

Some media outlets have done the American public a disservice in putting the focus on blame, what isn’t being accomplished and everything we don’t know. I certainly arrived in Louisiana with a different impression of the reality that exists. Yes, it’s a catastrophic situation, but perhaps a greater service would be to show all the work that is being done and explain the situation from an educational perspective. In the face of a disaster where we don’t feel in control, the general public wants to know what is actually going on and, more importantly, how they can help.

From the Baton Rouge meeting, I headed to New Orleans to provide veterinary care for the oiled sea turtles being brought to the Audubon Nature Institute. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service have been searching the oiled waters, collecting the sea turtles they come across daily, as weather permits. For these turtles, capture for de-oiling is a stroke of luck – live turtles covered with oil are not showing up on beaches with any frequency; those on the beaches have already died.

I applaud the government for this proactive effort, and am certain the rescued sea turtles are alive today because of it! The incoming sea turtles are mostly juvenile Kemp’s Ridley, a critically endangered species, though an adult loggerhead and some juvenile loggerhead, green and hawksbill sea turtles – all threatened species – were also rescued. The turtles are de-oiled, both externally and internally, in a multi-step process and then monitored and treated for health problems such as electrolyte imbalances, eye problems or gastrointestinal effects. In contrast to the volume known about the effects of oiling on avian species, there is a dearth of information as to how oiling effects sea turtles. What we do know isthese turtles have already suffered severe population declines due to many anthropogenic causes, including by-catch in numerous fisheries and loss of nesting habitat as beaches erode or are developed. The Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle nests almost exclusively on the beaches in the western Gulf of Mexico; thus, this oil spill could have disastrous consequences for all sea turtle populations, but most notably for the Kemp’s Ridley. We also know that, at least short-term, these individual oiled turtles are fighters. While a few of the collected turtles have perished, most have rebounded well from the oiling and are currently doing well in their rehabilitation. I didn’t have the opportunity to visit a facility working with the oiled birds while I was there, but word is that most of these birds have died.

Louisiana light crude has never been so heavy. The weight of this spill, on so many levels, is truly astounding. The situation in the Gulf region poetically mirrors the main characteristics of this oil itself – unstable, highly susceptible to weathering and not easily mixable with the environment. There is still much more to be done in cleaning up the oil and minimizing its effects.