After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill last year, teams of biologists from NOAA and other federal and state agencies mobilized in the Gulf of Mexico. Their mission was to assess the impacts from the spill to a wide range of important natural resources—including dolphins. NOAA has documented extensive exposure of these animals to Deepwater Horizon oil. This exposure can cause a variety of health impacts in marine mammals, including death.
Since the spill, more than 400 dolphins have been found dead in the Gulf. We are continuing to assess the health of dolphins Gulf-wide—their health is a good indication of the recovery of the Gulf.
NBC Nightly News came to see our team at work—watch the video below.
Reporters from The Times-Picayune and Mississippi Press also saw the team at work and published stories and photo galleries.
Learn more about our efforts to assess the impact of the spill on dolphins and other marine mammals, or watch our webisode on Dolphin Identification, featuring NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco.