"Because no one has ever seen a spill of this magnitude, we can only make educated guesses about the long-term damages that the oil spill and dispersants used could inflict on manatees and especially on their aquatic habitat," says Patrick Rose, an aquatic biologist and Executive Director for Save the Manatee Club. (Photo © David R. Schrichte)

Although the Deepwater Horizon oil well has been capped and efforts are being made to kill the well permanently, the impact of the spill is far from over. Even after the majority of the oil is removed from the surface of the water and on the shoreline, it will likely take years for the area to recover. It’s hard to say what impact the oil spill will have on endangered manatees and other wildlife that inhabit the Gulf of Mexico. But we know one thing for certain – it can’t be good.

“Because no one has ever seen a spill of this magnitude, we can only make educated guesses about the long-term damages that the oil spill and dispersants used could inflict on manatees and especially on their aquatic habitat,” says Patrick Rose, an aquatic biologist and Executive Director for Save the Manatee Club. “However, we do know manatees can be sickened and aquatic plants can be smothered by the highly toxic oil and chemical dispersants. Manatees can ingest oil and inhale it at the water’s surface when they come up for a breath. Oil can cause lung, liver, and kidney damage and can lead to the eventual death of the manatee.”

By late June, oil had washed ashore on Pensacola Beach, Florida. (Photo courtesy Florida Department of Environmental Protection.)

Thankfully, no manatee deaths have been attributed to the oil spill so far. Estimated to be the worst spill in U.S. history, oil from the Deepwater Horizon well has already covered more than 600 miles of coastline in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. To date, over 4,000 birds, turtles, and dolphins have been found dead in the spill area.

In July, Rose flew an aerial survey, looking at the effects of the Gulf oil spill on aquatic habitat and marine life, including surveying for manatees and other wildlife from Florida to Louisiana. “The damage is undeniable,” said Rose. “Even though prevailing winds and storms have kept the majority of the oil offshore and away from the seagrasses and estuaries, they have still been damaged. The vegetation that manatees feed on is especially vulnerable to oil exposure and could be dramatically affected, causing changes in manatee habitat use and potentially driving them to less protected or unregulated areas in their search to find food. I remain convinced that the manatees, dolphins, sea turtles, birds, fish, plants, and people of the Gulf, who I saw first-hand, will be living a nightmare for many more years to come. So much of the spill is hidden beneath the waves in a cocktail so rich in oil, methane, and dispersants that it devours the dissolved oxygen, literally smothering the plankton and larvae of myriad species that support the Gulf's ecosystem."

One bright spot in the aerial survey was the sighting of two adult manatees cavorting in the surf near Gulf Shores, Alabama. “We were delighted to find the manatees and see that they looked healthy,” said Rose.

Among many other species of wildlife, a pod of dolphins (above) and two manatees (below) were spotted by SMC's Pat Rose near Gulf Shores, Alabama during a recent aerial survey of the area. (Photo by Dean Dugger for Save the Manatee Club.)

Throughout the duration of the spill and its aftermath, both Rose and Dr. Katie Tripp, SMC’s Director of Science and Conservation, have been in regular communication with federal and state wildlife agencies to ensure that the Club has firsthand information regarding the spill and associated activities and threats.

The agencies have also developed a rescue and recovery plan for manatees should they come into any contact with the oil, and the Club has offered assistance with supplies or any support that may be necessary. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manatees rescued from oil-damaged areas will not be released back into the wild until the danger from oil contamination is over.

In addition, the Club is also working with a coalition of groups calling for a ban on offshore oil drilling along Florida’s coasts as well as a federal moratorium on drilling along all of America's coastlines until there has been a full review.

“As an aquatic biologist with nearly 40 years studying and protecting manatees, marine mammals and other marine protected species, I have an understanding of the damage that uncontrolled oil releases can cause,” said Rose. “The Exxon Valdez, the Trans-Alaskan pipeline, and the Deepwater Horizon were all promised to be safe but have caused great harm to the environment because the appropriate care was not exercised in their construction and/or operation. We need to shift our attention and tax dollars away from drilling and focus on the development of renewable sources of clean energy that will carry us sustainably into the future.”

SMC Executive Director Pat Rose (at right in blue), on a recent trip to the Gulf, discusses oil spill protection with Florida Governor Charlie Crist. (U.S. Senator and Club Co-Founder Bob Graham is in the foreground.) (Photo by Dean Dugger for Save the Manatee Club)

Many manatee advocates have contacted Save the Manatee Club to volunteer their efforts and ask what they can do. We very much appreciate their support and have compiled a list of ways to help:

Take Action!

1. Report affected wildlife by calling toll free 1-866-557-1401. Individuals are urged not to attempt to help injured or oiled animals.
   
   
2. Volunteer to help by calling toll free 1-866-448-5816. This is the official Deepwater Horizon Response line. Please be advised that only trained experts are being accepted to deal with wildlife affected by the oil spill.
   For state specific volunteer opportunities, go to www.restorethegulf.gov
   
   
3. Send a quick online letter to leaders in Washington, letting them know you oppose oil drilling and support clean energy. Help protect manatees and our coastlines from future environmental disasters.
   
   
4. Florida Residents: Contact your state legislators and urge them to protect Florida's beaches and keep the oil rigs out.
   
   
5. Join the International Coastal Cleanup on September 25, 2010
   
   
6. Give to our Emergency Rescue Fund to help sick and injured manatees.
   
   

• See a map from USA Today showing the spread of the oil spill in the Gulf.
  
  
• View NASA imagery of the oil spill.
  
  
• Oil Spill Could Trigger Massive Rescue
  Effort of Florida's Manatees
  See the video at CNN
  
  
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection Deepwater Horizon Site
  
  
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Deepwater Oil Spill Response Site
  
  
• NOAA Web Site on the Deepwater Horizon Incident
  
  
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Oil Spill Response Site
  
  
• The White House Deepwater BP Oil Spill Site