Wildlife group: Gulf oil spill still affecting wildlife
The fact that the Gulf hasn’t fully recovered is “hardly surprising given the enormity of the disaster,” said
The
What followed, Muth said, was the largest restoration attempt ever in the world, with billions invested or committed to projects to help restore the Gulf and its ecosystem, and another
“It's an opportunity we cannot afford to squander,” he said, adding that the projects create jobs.
In the report, the NWF said it believes a large portion of the money should be spent on estuary restoration, where freshwater mixes with the saltwater of the Gulf.
“Projects that restore wetlands, rebuild oyster reefs, protect important habitats from development, and recreate natural patterns of water flow and sediment deposition will help many species harmed by the oil. In addition to helping wildlife, many of these projects will help protect coastal communities from rising seas and extreme weather,” the report said.
During a telephone news conference Tuesday, NWF experts highlighted the plight of a few species of wildlife that were affected by the spill:
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— Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle. Once facing extinction in the 1960s, the sea turtles were largely saved by conservation efforts until the oil spill, which killed as many as 20 percent of adult females. Nesting in the post-spill years has fluctuated.
— Birds. About 12 percent of brown pelicans and 32 percent of the laughing gulls in the northern Gulf died in the oil spill. Approximately 1 million offshore and coastal birds perished.
Scientists estimate the oil killed or seriously hurt “billions, if not trillions” of animals, according to a lawsuit filed by environmental groups in 2019. The government declared a fisheries disaster.
In June of last year, environmental groups sued to challenge a decision by President
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