Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill IV

Beyond impacts on sea turtles and various fish species, as discussed in the previous post, one of the most severely affected marine animals was the bottlenose dolphins. According to the NOAA (n.d.), the Deepwater Horizon oil spill resulted in an increase in death rates amongst bottlenose dolphins by 35%. This was accompanied by “a 46 percent increase in failed reproduction, and a 37 percent increase in adverse health effects compared with a healthy population” (NOAA, n.d., p. 10). It is estimated that the population of bottlenose dolphins would only recover at least 39 years later without active restoration efforts (Office of Protected Resources, 2021). As such, many initiatives have been introduced in hopes of restoring the bottlenose dolphin population; this includes reducing impacts from human activities as well as strengthening conservation and protection efforts. To date, the bottlenose dolphin population is still experiencing the effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and conservation efforts are still ongoing to safeguard the interests of the marine ecosystem.

Even marine life in the deep sea was not spared from the oil spill. Since the source of the oil spill was the Macondo Well, which is deep in the ocean, oil was also released in the vicinity. Furthermore, since dispersants were injected directly into the wellhead, some were also released into the nearby environment, which is particularly concerning, considering the choice of dispersants as we discussed a few posts ago. At this depth, there exist rich habitats such as coral reefs, where marine life such as plankton, forage fish, and invertebrates reside (NOAA, n.d.). These marine life form the base of the food chain and are extremely important to the balance of the marine ecosystem. This thus exemplifies the severity of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its extensive impacts on the marine ecosystem.