Bottlenose dolphins in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, are showing signs of severe ill health, according to NOAA marine mammal biologists and their local, state, federal and other research partners.

Barataria Bay, located in the northern Gulf of Mexico, received heavy and prolonged exposure to oil during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Based on comprehensive physicals of 32 live dolphins from Barataria Bay in the summer of 2011, preliminary results show that many of the dolphins in the study are underweight, anemic, have low blood sugar and/or some symptoms of liver and lung disease. Nearly

Warning: some of these images show injured or dead dolphins, which may be disturbing to some viewers. Download high resolution versions of these photos from NOAA Fisheries' Flickr set.

Study by NOAA and Partners Shows Some Gulf Dolphins Severely Ill

Gulf Dolphin Questions and Answers

Questions

• Why is NOAA studying dolphins in the Northern Gulf of Mexico now?
• What is going on with dolphin strandings in the Gulf of Mexico?
• Why did NOAA and its NRDA partners focus one study on the dolphins in Louisiana’s Barataria Bay?
• How many dolphins, and what kinds, are in the Gulf of Mexico?
• How many dolphins are in Barataria Bay?
• If oil is the cause of these health problems, how could it make the dolphins so sick?
• If the dolphins are sick, are humans at risk?
• I

Members of the public shared their reactions to the Phase I Draft Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (Phase I DERP/EA) at public meetings in the Gulf states and Washington, DC, in January and February 2012.

Title: Early Restoration Public Meeting, Washington, DC

Date: February 7, 2012

Location: Washington, DC

Description: The Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Trustees want to hear from you! A draft plan of proposed early restoration projects is available for public review and comment. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Draft Phase I Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment describes eight projects, two each in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. The projects are intended to benefit injured marshes, coastal dune and nearshore habitats, oysters, and human uses (on water recreation

Title: Early Restoration Public Meeting, Louisiana

Date: February 2, 2012

Location: Belle Chase, Louisiana

Description: The Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Trustees want to hear from you! A draft plan of proposed early restoration projects is available for public review and comment. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Draft Phase I Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment describes eight projects, two each in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. The projects are intended to benefit injured marshes, coastal dune and nearshore habitats, oysters, and human uses (on water

Title: Early Restoration Public Meeting, Louisiana

Date: February 1, 2012

Location: Chalmette, Louisiana

Description: The Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Trustees want to hear from you! A draft plan of proposed early restoration projects is available for public review and comment. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Draft Phase I Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment describes eight projects, two each in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. The projects are intended to benefit injured marshes, coastal dune and nearshore habitats, oysters, and human uses (on water

Title: Early Restoration Public Meeting, Louisiana

Date: January 31, 2012

Location: Houma, Louisiana

Description: The Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Trustees want to hear from you! A draft plan of proposed early restoration projects is available for public review and comment. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Draft Phase I Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment describes eight projects, two each in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. The projects are intended to benefit injured marshes, coastal dune and nearshore habitats, oysters, and human uses (on water recreation