Bottlenose dolphins in areas of the northern Gulf of Mexico that
were heavily impacted by the Deepwater Horizon blowout disaster
are showing signs of severe ill health, according to NOAA
biologists. Barataria Bay, Louisiana, located in the northern
Gulf of Mexico, received heavy and prolonged exposure to oil
during the Deepwater Horizon spill. Now, results of the
comprehensive physicals of 32 live dolphins from the bay
conducted in the summer of 2011 indicate that many of the
dolphins studied are underweight, anemic, have low blood sugar
and some symptoms of liver and lung disease. Nearly half of the
mammals studied also have abnormally low levels hormones
responsible for stress response, metabolism and immune system
function. One of the individuals last observed in late 2011 has
since died, and its body was discovered in late January.
Researchers, whose membership includes NOAA marine mammal
biologists and their local, state, federal and other research
partners, fear that other dolphins examined in the same