Wildlife & Birds

Scientists Look to Food Webs for Better Understanding of Oil Spill Effects

Scientists Look to Food Webs for Better Understanding of Oil Spill Effects

When trying to understand how ecosystems function, scientists often look at food webs–the complex relationships between animals, insects, plants, and bacteria that govern who eats whom. Food webs in the Gulf of Mexico are as complex as they come. The different habitat types, from forests to wetlands to ocean, mean a diverse array of species. The Gulf food web would be nearly impossible to understand in its entirety, but we can simplify it into a chain to help us think …

Five Years After the Oil Spill, Dead Dolphins and 25,000-Pound Tar Mat Found

This was originally posted on the National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Promise blog. By Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation One day after BP released a report saying the Gulf is on the road to recovery, we took a trip to one of the most impacted areas from the BP oil spill—Barataria Bay, Louisiana. From a dead baby dolphin to devastation at a bird rookery to active clean-up crews removing tons of oil from barrier islands, we found a very different picture from …

10 Things BP’s New Report Doesn’t Tell You

This was originally posted on the National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Promise blog. By Ryan Fikes, National Wildlife Federation BP has just released a new report on the state of the Gulf, called Gulf of Mexico: Environmental Recovery and Restoration. The glossy report is filled with footnotes and citations, but leaves key pieces of science out. Here are ten important things BP’s latest report strategically didn’t mention: Dolphins died before the spill – from freshwater The report says: “An “unusual mortality event” (UME) …

Understanding effects of chemical dispersants on marine wildlife is critical to whale population

During and after the 2010 BP oil spill, clean-up crews relied heavily on chemical dispersants to break up oil slicks in the Gulf of Mexico. In total, crews used more than 2 million gallons of dispersants, namely Corexit 9500 and 9527, applying them directly to the head of the leaking well and over the surface waters of the Gulf. Dispersants break down oil into small droplets that easily mix with water and, in theory, biodegrade quickly. The intention is to …

Final Phase of BP Oil Spill Trial to Begin Next Week

Press Statement + Interview Opportunities Available Contact: Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, schatzele@nwf.org Elizabeth Van Cleve, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, evancleve@edf.org Lauren Bourg, National Audubon Society, 225.776.9838, lbourg@audubon.org Final Phase of BP Oil Spill Trial to Begin Next Week BP must be held fully accountable for its role in nation’s largest oil disaster (New Orleans – January 15, 2015) On Tuesday, January 20, 2015, the third and final phase of the BP oil spill civil trial will begin …

A Bird's Eye View of Coastal Erosion

This was originally posted on the National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Promise blog. By Kelly Wagner, National Wildlife Federation Each day I pass an egret on the way to work that lingers in the watery ditches in my town. It amuses me that this elegant bird seems to give little concern to the cars that are passing within ten feet of it. It doesn’t know that I am heading to NWF’s New Orleans field office that has one focus—to restore its wetlands habitat in the …

Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative examines oil spill’s effects on environmental and public health

By Estelle Robichaux, Environmental Defense Fund The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) hosted its 2014 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference January 26-29 in Mobile, Ala. GoMRI was created soon after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster when BP committed $500 million over 10 years to fund a broad, independent research program with the purpose of studying the environmental and public health impacts of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The conference drew several …

Rebuilding coastal Louisiana, using the natural power of the mighty Mississippi

This was originally posted by Environmental Defense Fund on EDF Voices. By Estelle Robichaux, Restoration Project Analyst, Environmental Defense Fund Soon after my flyover of the Mississippi River Delta, I joined Dr. John Lopez of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF) on a boat ride down the Bohemia Spillway to Mardi Gras Pass. As we sped down the spillway canal, beautiful swamp lilies and purple morning glories popped out against a backdrop of lush, green plants. Once we reached our destination, …

Louisiana bird watchers flock to Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count

By Erik I. Johnson, PhD., Director of Bird Conservation, Audubon Louisiana Between December 14 and January 5, bird watchers from around the country will spend a perfectly good day counting birds for the 114th Christmas Bird Count (CBC), organized by the National Audubon Society. The longest-running citizen science program in the world, this annual event is an irreplaceable tool for researchers and the conservation community to learn about how our birds are doing – are their populations increasing or decreasing, and …

Wildlife tourism in Louisiana

This is the second post in a series about wildlife tourism and the Gulf Coast economy. By Will Lindsey and Rachel Schott, Environmental Defense Fund Datu Research LLC’s recently released report, “Wildlife Tourism and the Gulf Coast Economy,” shows how wildlife tourism is a vital component of the Gulf Coast economy and links the industry’s success to the health of the Gulf’s unique environment and ecosystems. Taking a closer look at the report allows one to see the full economic …

What is wildlife tourism?

This is the first in a series of posts about wildlife tourism and the Gulf Coast economy. By Will Lindsey and Rachel Schott, Environmental Defense Fund A new economic report by Datu Research LLC studied the important contribution that wildlife tourism provides to the economic vitality of 53 coastal counties and parishes across the Gulf Coast states. Wildlife tourism, which includes wildlife watching, recreational fishing and hunting, generates $19 billion per year in revenue for the Gulf Coast. Renowned for …

Gulf Tourism Depends on a Healthy Gulf

PRESS RELEASE Contacts: Molly Moore, Sanderson Strategies Group, 202.682.3700, molly@sandersonstrategies.com Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, eskree@edf.org Gulf Tourism Depends on a Healthy Gulf New report shows wildlife tourism is central to Gulf Coast economy (New Orleans—July 9, 2013) The coastal environment of the Gulf of Mexico supports a $19 billion annual wildlife tourism industry that is highly dependent on critical investments in coastal environmental restoration, according to a survey released today by Datu Research LLC. “Wildlife Tourism and the …

What does a “record-setting dead zone” mean for Louisiana’s coast?

By Rachel Schott, Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign Dead zone. Words that bring images of military exercises or deserted, war-torn areas of land, but certainly not an acceptable description of a region that contains some of the nation’s most vibrant and diverse ecosystems, wildlife and habitats. Right? Recent studies released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and conducted by Louisiana State University, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, and University of Michigan scientists forecast a “record-setting dead zone” for the …

Joint Statement on Upcoming BP Oil Spill Trial and Settlement Reports

Contact: Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, eskree@edf.org Erin Greeson, National Audubon Society, 503.913.8978, egreeson@audubon.org Lacey McCormick, National Wildlife Federation, 512.203.3016, mccormick@nwf.org Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, schatzele@nwf.org Oil Spill Case: BP Needs to Be Held Accountable Washington, D.C. (February 22, 2013) BP is facing tens of billions of dollars in penalties as the U.S. Department of Justice and the British oil giant get ready to start trial Monday over civil charges stemming from the 2010 gulf oil disaster. However, a …

BP Oil Spill: 1,000 Days Later

It’s been exactly 1,000 days since the BP-operated oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, gushing millions of barrels of crude oil into a body of water that supports countless ecosystems and economies. Below is a timeline of major events that have occurred in the last 1,000 days. Tell BP to stop stalling, take responsibility, and pay the maximum Clean Water Act fines for which they are liable — now! Sources: – Restorethegulf.org, “First oiled bird is recovered.” – …