Oil spill may have indirect role in dolphin deaths

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Oil spill may have indirect role in dolphin deaths
More than 150 dolphins have washed up on shore
Posted: 8:53 PM
Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The massive BP oil spill might indirectly have contributed to the unusually high number of young dolphins dying in the Gulf of Mexico recently, a University of Central Florida marine researcher said Thursday.

The oil and dispersants used to clean up the spill may have disrupted the food chain and prevented dolphin mothers from building up insulating blubber they need to withstand cold.

That could contribute to calves dying, though there are other possible explanations, said Graham Worthy. He presented the findings to colleagues with the Florida Institute of Oceanography, a coalition of public universities from around the state. The institute received a $10 million grant last year to study the impact of the nation's largest oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico.

He said one of the theories on the deaths is there was an altered food web and in the fall, mothers should be building fat to get them through cold snaps.



Read more: http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/state/oil-spill-may-have-indirect-role-in-dolphin-deaths

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