Oil Spill

April 2010
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill FACT SHEET
Fishing
One of the biggest industries in the Gulf of Mexico is the fishing
(commercial and recreational).
More than three million (3.2 million) recreational fishers took fishing
trips in the GOM in 2008, totally 24 million fishing trips.
In 2008, commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico harvested 1.27
million pounds of finfish and shellfish. Commercial fishermen earned
$659 million in total landings revenue in 2008. Two of the largest
commercial fishing operations in the Gulf of Mexico are red snapper and
shrimp. Brown shrimp is the most important species in the U.S. Gulf
fishery, with principal catches made from June through October.
The following shrimp species are found in the Gulf of Mexico:
Brown shrimp (Penaeus aztecus Ives)
White shrimp (Penaeus setiferus Linnaeus)
Pink shrimp (Penaeus duorarum Burkenroad)
Royal red shrimp (Hymenopenaeus robustus Smith)
Seabobs (Xiahooeneus kroverl Heller) - INCIDENTAL BYCATCH
Rock shrimp (Sicyonia brevirostris Stimpton) - INCIDENTAL BYCATCH
Marine Mammals
There are two resident species of large whales in the Gulf of Mexico
that may occur in the area of the spill:
Bryde's whales
Sperm whales (endangered) Bryde's whales (pronounced Brew-duhs) are not
listed as endangered or threatened, but they are protected under the
Marine Mammal Protection Act. Bryde's whales are baleen whales, meaning
they have hair-like "teeth" in their mouths that the whales use to
filter water and trap their food. A small population of Bryde's whale
(Balaenoptera edeni), the only baleen whale to commonly occur in the
Gulf, inhabits the shelf break region in the northeastern Gulf.
Sperm whales are much more abundant than Bryde's whales and are found
throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico, especially near the 1,000m depth
contour. Sperm whales are listed as Endangered under the Endangered
Species Act, and are also protected under the Marine Mammal Protection
Act. Sperm whales are the largest toothed whales, and they hunt
relatively large-bodied prey in deep water.
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The following 21 marine mammals that routinely inhabit the northern Gulf
are protected under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act:
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1) Bottlenose dolphin
2) Atlantic spotted dolphin
3) Bryde's whale
4) Sperm whale (also protected by the Endangered Species Act)
5) Dwarf sperm whale
6) Pygmy sperm whale
7) Cuvier's beaked whale
8) Blainville's beaked whale
9) Gervais' beaked whale
10) Short-finned pilot whale
11) Killer whale
12) False killer whale
13) Pygmy killer whale
14) Melon-headed whale
15) Risso's dolphin
16) Rough-toothed dolphin
17) Fraser's dolphin
18) Pantropical spotted dolphin
19) Striped dolphin
20) Clymene dolphin
21) Spinner dolphin
The greatest threat to whales from the oil spill is probably fouling of
the baleen. If Bryde's whales are skim-feeding in the slick or otherwise
get oil in their mouths, the oil would quickly clog and foul the baleen.
Fouled baleen could lead to compromised feeding, starvation and death.
Skin contact or inhalation exposure is probably a much less serious risk
for large whales, and would probably only have sub-lethal effects.
Long-term impacts are also possible through take-up of oil components
through the food chain and likely "biomagnification" of the contaminants
in large marine mammals.
There are nine species of dolphins that routinely inhabit the northern
Gulf and are protected under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act:
1) Bottlenose dolphin
2) Atlantic spotted dolphin
3) Risso's dolphin
4) Rough-toothed dolphin
5) Fraser's dolphin
6) Pantropical spotted dolphin
7) Striped dolphin
8) Clymene dolphin
9) Spinner dolphin
Sea Turtles
There are five species of turtles that inhabit the Gulf of Mexico:
Kemp's Ridley, Lepidochelys kempii (endangered)
Leatherback, Dermochelys coriacea (endangered)
Loggerhead, Caretta caretta (threatened)
Green, Chelonia mydas (endangered)
Hawksbill, Eretmochelys imbricate (threatened)
Possible -- olive ridley, Lepidochelys olivacea (threatened)
The only place in the world that the Kemp's Ridley nests is in the
western Gulf of Mexico. They are now in the peak of their nesting
season. One of the only foraging grounds for the Kemp's Ridley is in the
area of the oil spill. They are currently foraging there.