Five years following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, National Wildlife Federation (NWF) scientists have compiled a report detailing how 20 types of fish and wildlife were impacted by the pollution that continued for 87 days. NWF said, “The full extent of the spill’s impact may take years or even decades to unfold , but Five Years & Counting: Gulf Wildlife in the Aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon Disaster examines what the science tells us so far.”
The report does not suggest that fishing is not good or that it will not continue to be so.
Following are updates on two species:
The mahi-mahi, also known as dorado, is an economically important species in the northern Gulf.
Like many fish, mahi-mahi produce fertilized eggs that float in the upper layers of the water column. Mahi-mahi were spawning at the time of the oil spill and it is therefore likely that their eggs and larvae were exposed to oil during 2010. Continue reading —–