Habitat in harm's way: national wildlife refuges and the Gulf oil disaster

Ding Darling NWR, photo courtesy of Susan White, USFWS

The 38 national wildlife refuges bordering the Gulf of Mexico are havens for a remarkable variety of birds, sea turtles, marine mammals and other wildlife—including at least 27 threatened or endangered species. Many of these refuges, and the native plants and animals they harbor, are in the path of spreading oil from BP’s Deepwater Horizon spill.

The refuge system, plagued by staffing buy tetracycline online shortages and a funding backlog of more than $3.7 billion, is already under pressure from the harmful impacts of climate change, invasive species, and oil and gas development within its boundaries. The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill threatens to place another enormous burden on the already stressed refuge system.

 Read our factsheet to learn more about what the Gulf oil disaster could mean for national wildlife refuges.