WILDLIFE NEAR THE SPILL

It likely will be days at least before the environmental effects of the Deepwater
Horizon spill are clear, but here are some of the animal populations nearby: 25 mi.

Baton 55 LA. MISS. Mobile

Rouge 12
59
Biloxi ALA. FLA.
10 10
Pensacola
M

ss Breton
iss
i

ip pi National
R. New Wildlife Extent of
Refuge oil sheen

69 miles
Orleans
90
69 Monday
Black Bay mi
les Tuesday
American Bay
Venice
2
mi 1
les

Gulf of Mississippi
River Delta
Mexico
Area where
rig sank
Breton National Wildlife Refuge Northern Gulf
• The refuge, comprising several islands, provides habitat • Whales: A gathering of sperm
for colonies of nesting wading birds and seabirds, as well whales — the largest toothed
as wintering shorebirds and waterfowl. Twenty-three whales — of unknown sex, age,
species of seabirds and shorebirds frequently use the number and reproductive
refuge, and 13 species nest on the various islands. The status occurs near coastal
most abundant nesters are brown pelicans, laughing gulls, waters just south of the
and royal, Caspian, and Sandwich terns. Mississippi delta.
Black Bay, American Bay • Tuna: An area near the spill is

•The bays east of the Mississippi Delta are among the the only known spawning
most productive areas for Louisiana’s $300 million-a-year ground for the over-fished
oyster industry. western Atlantic bluefin tuna.
Sources: U.S. Coast Guard; Joint Information Center, Gulf of Mexico-Transocean Drilling Incident; Chronicle research
JAY CARR : C H R O N I C L E