News Roundup - Wildlife Impacts

According to local WMBF reporter Casey Roman, North Carolina turtle rescues are bracing for the worst and readying facilities if the Gulf spill lands on their turtle nesting beaches.

Federal officials are waiting for lab result from 6 dead dolphins that have washed up on Gulf shores.  Although they show no obvious signs of oil contamination officials are treating the case as if that were the cause of death according to KATC’s Sharlee Jacbos.

As the oil continues to spread the impacts on this spill compared to Exxon in Alaska are going to be different although just as detrimental.  In Alaska the oil clung to rocky shorelines, in the Gulf it will cling to spongelike shores and mangrove forests and coat breeding grounds of shrimp and crabs for decades to come tells Renee Shcoof of McClatchy Newspapers.

Senator Richard Shelby and local fisherman are very worried over the long term effects of the chemical dispersants on the environment and the fishing grounds. Little is know about what the dispersants will do at these concentrations over the long run but low levels of the dispersants have been shown to kill coral and anemones or make them lethargic.

Hair is very good at absorbing oil and many people and pet owners are donating their locks to the clean-up effort says Steve Marroni from the Evening Sun