HECATOMBE OF DOLPHINS AND TURTLES

While oil giant BP is on trial for the Deepwater Horizon explosion, the National Wildlife Federation has just released its report on the state of health of the Gulf of Mexico. Three years after the disaster, the effect of the oil spill is still felt. Dolphins, turtles, corals and fish all struggle for survival.

Almost three years ago, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig was dumping more than 750 million liters of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The well, located 68 km from the coast, exploded in April 2010, the oil spill spread throughout the Gulf and reached the coast in June. If oil is no longer visible on the surface, it is still present and has a significant impact on the Gulf's fauna. In addition, studies have shown that the dispersant used was 52 times more toxic than the oil itself.
In this context, the National Wildlife Federation has sought to assess the state of the Gulf as a whole. To this end, it has gathered all the studies carried out on six animal species whose development depends directly on the good health of the Gulf. At a time when oil giant BP is on trial, the report is rather overwhelming. Three years after the disaster, the damage from the explosion is still significant. "This disaster highlighted the shortcomings in our understanding of the Gulf of Mexico," said University of Florida oceanography professor Ian MacDonald. But the frustrating thing is that little has changed in three years. The death rate does not decrease, on the other hand funding for research, yes. "

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