BP oil maybe killed hundreds of thousands of birds

From Science News:

BP oil spill may have killed hundreds of thousands of birds

by Science News Staff

4:31pm, May 7, 2014

Guest post by Beth Mole

Based on two computer simulations, researchers estimate that the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico killed around 600,000 to 800,000 coastal birds.

In one simulation, the estimated death toll stemmed from the number of bird carcasses recovered in the area around the spill and other environmental factors. In the other simulation, researchers used bird population numbers and exposure rates to oil slicks. Four species in particular had high death tolls: the laughing gull, royal tern, northern gannet and the brown pelican.

The findings will appear in Marine Ecology Progress Series. The study was funded by two law firms representing clients with claims against BP, the oil company responsible for the spill.

This video from the USA says about itself:

BP Oil Spill Effect on Birds in Alabama Sept. 2011

On a night kayak trip to Sand Island (off Dauphin Island, AL) we found lots of dead birds for no apparent reason. Never seen so many in the same area before.

Recorded on September 10, 2011 using a Flip Video camera.

Many birds and other wildlife die following an oil spill, but there are also other potential long-terms effects of oil exposure on animals. In a recent Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry study that examined blood samples from birds present in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 and 2011 following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, even birds with small amounts of oil present on their feathers experienced problems related to their red blood cells: here.

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