October 24, 2012

Oil-affected wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico – in pictures

Scientists are still assessing the effects of the estimated 170m gallons of oil that flooded into the Gulf of Mexico after an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig in 2010

BP Deepwater: A dead sperm whale in the Gulf of Mexico — This image, released in September 2012 in response to a 2010 freedom of information act request, shows NOAA staff investigating the carcass of a dead sperm whale in the Gulf of Mexico on 15 June 2010, seven weeks after the start of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster. There were believed to be about 1,200 sperm whale in the Gulf of Mexico at the time of the spill, making it one of the biggest populations in the world Photograph: NOAA

Deepwater Horizon: A bird flies above oil — An egret flies above oil off East Grand Terre island along the Louisiana coast. Oil hit the shore of the Louisiana coast on 6 May 2010, reaching the Chandeleur Islands, uninhabited barrier islands that are part of the Breton national wildlife refuge
Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP Photograph: Charlie Riedel/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: A dragonfly tries to clean itself — A dragonfly tries to free itself from oil-covered marsh grass in Garden Island bay, Louisiana
Photograph: Gerald Herbert/AP Photograph: Gerald Herbert/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: Hermit crabs struggle to cross a patch of oil — Hermit crabs struggle to cross a patch of oil
Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP Photograph: Charlie Riedel/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: A brown pelican is mired in oil near the beach at East Grand Terre Island — A brown pelican is mired in oil near the beach at East Grand Terre Island along the Louisiana coast, 3 June 2010
Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP Photograph: Charlie Riedel/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: A small dead fish floats on a pool of oil — A dead fish floats in a pool of oil at Bay Long off the coast of Louisiana
Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP Photograph: Charlie Riedel/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: A brown pelican coated in heavy oil tries to take flight — A brown pelican coated in heavy oil tries to take flight. The US government only removed the brown pelican from its list of endangered species in November 2009
Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images Photograph: Win McNamee/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: An exhausted oil-covered brown pelican on Queen Bess Island Pelican Rookery — An exhausted, oil-covered brown pelican tries to climb over an oil containment boom on the Queen Bess Island pelican rookery, Louisiana
Photograph: Sean Gardner/Reuters Photograph: Sean Gardner/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: Oiled Turtled — A turtle is rescued from the oil spill
Photograph: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Photograph: guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: Oil-covered Brown Pelican chicks stand in contrast to clean chicks — Oil-covered brown pelican chicks stand in contrast to clean chicks on Cat Island. The Deepwater disaster took place right in the middle of breeding season, and hatchlings are now sitting in marshland nests waiting to be fed, wildlife experts say
Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP Photograph: Charlie Riedel/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: Aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, — A sand crab emerges from its hole amid patches of oil washed up on the beach
Photograph: Zuma/Rex Features Photograph: Zuma/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: A bird is mired in oil on the beach at East Grand Terre Island — A brown pelican covered in oil on the beach at East Grand Terre island, Louisiana
Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP Photograph: Charlie Riedel/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: An oiled Brown pelican is rescued from Barataria Bay — An oiled brown pelican is rescued from Barataria Bay
Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP Photograph: Charlie Riedel/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: A member of Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries holds oil covered Green Heron — A member of Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries carries away an oil-covered green heron for cleaning
Photograph: SEAN GARDNER/REUTERS Photograph: SEAN GARDNER/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: Technicians with the Fort Jackson Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center — Technicians with the Fort Jackson Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre give a final rinse to a brown pelican. The birds were released into the wild on the east coast of Florida after cleaning, feeding and rehabilitation
Photograph: Tannen Maury/EPA Photograph: Tannen Maury/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: oil spill stains marsh grasses — Oil-stained marsh grasses in Barataria Bay
Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP Photograph: Charlie Riedel/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: Streaks left by oil that retreated during low tide — Streaks left by oil that retreated during low tide, visible on a public beach in Dauphin Island, Alabama
Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images Photograph: Win McNamee/guardian.co.uk

Deepwater Horizon: A young heron sits dying amidst oil splattering underneath mangrove — A young heron stranded in oil-covered mangroves in Barataria Bay, Louisiana
Photograph: Gerald Herbert/AP Photograph: Gerald Herbert/guardian.co.uk

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Oil-affected wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico – in pictures

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