Sad news from the Gulf of Mexico—at least 32 dolphins in Barataria
Bay, La., one of the hardest hit spots by the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill, have been given physicals and are reported as severely ill according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials.
The dolphins demonstrate a range of symptoms—from being underweight,
anemic, and having low blood sugar and liver and lung disease. One of
the studied dolphins has been found dead.
There has been a large surge in dolphin deaths in the Northern Gulf
of Mexico since the oil spill, especially among newborn and young
dolphins. In 2011 there were 159 strandings just in Louisiana, almost
eight times the historical average in previous years.
