Re: Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - Its First Anniversary
NOAA -
One Year Since the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: FAQs on Sea Turtles, Dolphins, and Whales - Updated April 20, 2011
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/oilspill/faq.htm
2010-2011 Cetacean Unusual Mortality Event in Northern Gulf of Mexico
Under the
Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (as amended), an
Unusual Mortality Event (UME) has been declared for cetaceans (whales and dolphins) in the northern Gulf of Mexico (Texas/Louisiana border through Franklin County, FL) from February 2010 through the present.
Note: These numbers are preliminary and may be subject to change. As of April 17, 2011, the UME involves 435 Cetacean
"strandings" in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (4% stranded alive and 96% stranded dead). Of these:
<table width="90%" align="center" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr style="background-color: rgb(220, 237, 253);" valign="top" align="center"> <th scope="col">Cetaceans Stranded</th> <th scope="col">Phase of Oil Spill Response</th> <th scope="col">Dates</th> </tr> <tr valign="top" align="center"> <td>113 cetaceans stranded </td> <td>prior to the response phase for the oil spill</td> <td>February 1, 2010- April 29, 2010</td> </tr> <tr valign="top" align="center"> <td>115 cetaceans stranded or were reported dead offshore</td> <td>during the initial response phase to the oil spill</td> <td>April 30, 2010- November 2, 2010</td> </tr> <tr valign="top" align="center"> <td>207 cetaceans stranded*</td> <td>after the initial response phase ended</td> <td>November 3, 2010- April 17, 2011**</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table width="90%" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td>*This number includes 5 dolphins that were killed incidental to
Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) fish assessment work in the Northern Gulf.
**The initial response phase ended for all four states on November 3, 2010 but then re-opened for eastern and central Louisiana on December 3, 2010.
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FAQs on the investigations of the ongoing dolphin die-off and the potential impacts of the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill on marine mammals are available.
All stranded cetaceans (dolphins and whales) from Franklin County, FL to the Texas/ Louisiana border.
NOTE: Historical data from 2002-2009 excludes 2 previous UMEs in the panhandle of Florida (March-April, 2004 and Sept. 2005-April 2006). Historical data from 2008 through present are unvalidated and numbers may be subject to change as more information becomes available. Data include any strandings reported on or before April 17, 2011 and include 5 cases that were incidental scientific data collection takes. Data from 2010 and 2011 are considered preliminary and may be subject to change as more information becomes available.
Raw historical data are also available.
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Jan</td> <td>
Feb</td> <td>
Mar</td> <td>
Apl</td> <td>
May</td> <td>
Jun</td> <td>
Jul</td> <td>
Aug</td> <td>
Sep</td> <td>
Oct</td> <td>
Nov</td> <td>
Dec</td> </tr> <tr valign="top" align="center"> <td align="left">
Average (2002-2009)</td> <td>6.6</td> <td>6.9</td> <td>17.9</td> <td>11.5</td> <td>5.1</td> <td>3.6</td> <td>4.1</td> <td>3.5</td> <td>4.0</td> <td>4.0</td> <td>2.6</td> <td>3.8</td> </tr> <tr valign="top" align="center"> <td align="left">
2010 Total</td> <td>5</td> <td>11</td> <td>62</td> <td>40</td> <td>35</td> <td>29</td> <td>10</td> <td>19</td> <td>17</td> <td>5</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> </tr> <tr valign="top" align="center"> <td align="left">
2011</td> <td>24</td> <td>63</td> <td>73</td> <td>24</td> <td>
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All stranded bottlenose dolphins from Franklin County, FL to the Texas/ Louisiana border.
NOTE: Historical data from 2002-2009 excludes 2 previous UMEs in the panhandle of Florida (March-April, 2004 and Sept. 2005-April 2006). Historical data from 2008 through present are unvalidated and numbers may be subject to change as more information becomes available. Data include any strandings reported on or before April 17, 2011 and include 2 cases that were incidental scientific data collection takes. Data from 2010 and 2011 are considered preliminary and may be subject to change as more information becomes available.
Raw historical data are also available.
<table width="99%" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr valign="top" align="center"> <td width="160">
</td> <td>
Jan</td> <td>
Feb</td> <td>
Mar</td> <td>
Apl</td> <td>
May</td> <td>
Jun</td> <td>
Jul</td> <td>
Aug</td> <td>
Sep</td> <td>
Oct</td> <td>
Nov</td> <td>
Dec</td> </tr> <tr valign="top" align="center"> <td align="left">
Average (2002-2009)</td> <td>5.4</td> <td>6.6</td> <td>16.6</td> <td>10.4</td> <td>4.8</td> <td>3.1</td> <td>3.3</td> <td>2.8</td> <td>2.0</td> <td>3.3</td> <td>1.8</td> <td>2.8</td> </tr> <tr valign="top" align="center"> <td align="left">
2010 Total</td> <td>3</td> <td>9</td> <td>56</td> <td>37</td> <td>35</td> <td>22</td> <td>9</td> <td>17</td> <td>14</td> <td>5</td> <td>8</td> <td>11</td> </tr> <tr valign="top" align="center"> <td align="left">
2011</td> <td>23</td> <td>60</td> <td>69</td> <td>23</td> <td>
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Stranded bottlenose dolphins from Franklin County, FL to the Texas/ Louisiana border with reported actual or estimated lengths less than 115 cm. Bottlenose dolphins <115 cm in total length are either premature, stillborn, or neonatal.
NOTE: Historical data from 2002-2009 excludes 2 previous UMEs in the panhandle of Florida (March-April, 2004 and Sept. 2005-April 2006). Historical data from 2008 through present are unvalidated and numbers may be subject to change as more information becomes available. Data include any strandings reported on or before April 17, 2011. Data from 2010 and 2011 are considered preliminary and may be subject to change as more information becomes available.
Raw historical data are also available.
<table width="66%" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr valign="top" align="center"> <td width="170">
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Jan</td> <td>
Feb</td> <td>
Mar</td> <td>
Apl</td> </tr> <tr valign="top" align="center"> <td align="left">
Average (2002-2007) </td> <td>1.0</td> <td>2.2</td> <td>6.3</td> <td>2.2</td> </tr> <tr valign="top" align="center"> <td align="left">
2010 Total</td> <td>0</td> <td>1</td> <td>11</td> <td>10</td> </tr> <tr valign="top" align="center"> <td align="left">
2011</td> <td>6</td> <td>36</td> <td>25</td> <td>7</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Cetacean (Dolphin and Whale) Strandings in the Northern Gulf of Mexico from January 1-April 17, 2011
Documented 2011 cetacean strandings in the northern Gulf of Mexico through April 17, 2011
Bottlenose dolphins are shown as circles and other species as squares. Bottlenose dolphins with reported actual or estimated lengths of less than 115 cm are shown as a circle with a black dot inside. Pink markers show the most recent week of data while green markers are all other cases since January 1, 2011.
More Information
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/mmume/cetacean_gulfofmexico2010.htm
What is an "unusual mortality event"?
An unusual mortality event (UME) is defined under the
Marine Mammal Protection Act as:
"a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate response."
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/mmume/
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