GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP) - Dolphins and sharks are showing up in
surprisingly shallow water just off the Florida coast. Mullets,
crabs, rays and small fish congregate by the thousands off an
Alabama pier. Birds covered in oil are crawling deep into marshes,
never to be seen again.
Marine scientists studying the effects of the BP disaster are
seeing some strange - and troubling - phenomena.
Fish and other wildlife are fleeing the oil out in the Gulf and
clustering in cleaner waters along the coast. But that is not the
hopeful sign it might appear to be, researchers say.
The animals' presence close to shore means their usual habitat
is badly polluted, and the crowding could result in mass die-offs
as fish run out of oxygen. Also, the animals could easily get
devoured by predators.
"A parallel would be: Why are the wildlife running to the edge
of a forest on fire? There will be a lot of fish, sharks, turtles
trying to get out of this water they detect is not suitable," said
Larry Crowder, a Duke University marine biologist.
The nearly two-month-old oil spill has created an environmental
catastrophe unparalleled in U.S. history as tens of millions of
gallons of have spewed into the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.
Scientists are seeing some unusual things as they try to understand
the effects on thousands of species of marine life.
Day by day, scientists in boats tally up dead birds, sea turtles
and other animals, but the toll is surprisingly small given the
size of the disaster. The latest figures show that 783 birds, 353
turtles and 41 mammals have died - numbers that pale in comparison
to what happened after the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska in 1989,
when 250,000 birds and 2,800 otters are believed to have died.
Researchers say there are several reasons for the relatively
small death toll: The vast nature of the spill means scientists are
able to locate only a small fraction of the dead animals. Many will
never be found after sinking to the bottom of the sea or getting
scavenged by other marine life. And large numbers of birds are
meeting their deaths deep in the Louisiana marshes where they seek
refuge from the onslaught of oil.
"That is their understanding of how to protect themselves,"
said Doug Zimmer, spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
For nearly four hours Monday, a three-person crew with
Greenpeace cruised past delicate islands and mangrove-dotted inlets
in Barataria Bay off southern Louisiana. They saw dolphins by the
dozen frolicking in the oily sheen and oil-tinged pelicans feeding
their young. But they spotted no dead animals.
"I think part of the reason why we're not seeing more yet is
that the impacts of this crisis are really just beginning,"
Greenpeace marine biologist John Hocevar said.
As for the fish, locals are seeing large schools hanging around
piers where fishing has been banned; apparently the fish feel safer
now that they are not being disturbed by fishermen.
Also, researchers believe fish are swimming closer to shore
because the water is cleaner and more abundant in oxygen. Father
out in the Gulf, researchers say, the spill is not only tainting
the water with oil but also depleting oxygen levels.
A similar scenario occurs during "dead zone" periods - the
time during summer months when oxygen becomes so depleted that fish
race toward shore in large numbers. Sometimes, so many fish gather
close to the shoreline off Mobile that locals rush to the beach
with tubs and nets to reap the harvest.
But this latest shore migration could prove deadly.
First, more oil could eventually wash ashore and overwhelm the
fish. They could also become trapped between the slick and the
beach, leading to increased competition for oxygen in the water and
causing them to die as they run out of air.
"Their ability to avoid it may be limited in the long term,
especially if in near-shore refuges they're crowding in close to
shore, and oil continues to come in. At some point they'll get
trapped," Crowder said. "It could lead to die-offs."
The fish could also fall victim to predators such as sharks and
seabirds. Already there have been increased shark sightings in
shallow waters along the Gulf Coast.
The counting of dead wildlife in the Gulf is more than an
academic exercise; the deaths will help determine how much BP pays
in damages.
Roger Helm, chief of the Fish and Wildlife Service's
contaminants division, said the government expects a battle with BP
over the extent of the damage and has every incentive to be
scientifically credible.
"Both sides go to their own corner and interpret the data the
way they want," Helm said. "This is a legal process, and if we
can't get an agreement we'll end up in court."

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