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2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: April Fact Sheet

1) The fishing industry in the Gulf of Mexico, both commercial and recreational, generates over $1 billion annually and supports the livelihoods of many residents. 2) There are two resident whale species in the Gulf - Bryde's whales and endangered sperm whales. The oil spill poses a serious threat of fouling the baleen of Bryde's whales and contaminating the food chain. 3) Five endangered sea turtle species inhabit the Gulf, including the critically endangered Kemp's Ridley which is currently nesting and foraging in the area impacted by the spill.

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81 views

2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: April Fact Sheet

1) The fishing industry in the Gulf of Mexico, both commercial and recreational, generates over $1 billion annually and supports the livelihoods of many residents. 2) There are two resident whale species in the Gulf - Bryde's whales and endangered sperm whales. The oil spill poses a serious threat of fouling the baleen of Bryde's whales and contaminating the food chain. 3) Five endangered sea turtle species inhabit the Gulf, including the critically endangered Kemp's Ridley which is currently nesting and foraging in the area impacted by the spill.

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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.

1
The following 21 marine mammals that routinely inhabit the northern Gulf are protected under the U.S.
Marine Mammal Protection Act:
.
1) Bottlenose dolphin 11) Killer whale
2) Atlantic spotted dolphin 12) False killer whale
3) Bryde’s whale 13) Pygmy killer whale
4) Sperm whale (also protected by the Endangered 14) Melon-headed whale
Species Act) 15) Risso’s dolphin
5) Dwarf sperm whale 16) Rough-toothed dolphin
6) Pygmy sperm whale 17) Fraser’s dolphin
7) Cuvier’s beaked whale 18) Pantropical spotted dolphin
8) Blainville’s beaked whale
9) Gervais’ beaked whale 19) Striped dolphin
10) Short-finned pilot whale 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.

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