Threat To Marine Environment Grows As Oil Continues To Escape From Fractured Pipe Into Timor Sea
The leaking oil well in the Timor Sea is now a major environmental disaster, spanning at least 15,000km2 and threatening marine wildlife, including whales and dolphins.Conservation groups continue to express concern about the giant slick, saying the entire area is ecologically significant, describing it as part of an "ocean super highway" for migrating animals between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Some populations are known to migrate through this region on their way to South East Asian waters. At least 20 different species of whales and dolphins probably use the area, including sperm whales, common dolphins, pygmy blues and humpback whales.
The best known and most graphic effects of an oil spill are typically seen in seabirds. Their feathers become clogged with oil and loose their vitally important insulating abilities. The same thing can happen to furred mammals. Preening birds can also ingest toxic compounds from their plumage. Whales and dolphins use their blubber layer for insulation and so are not affected in this way, but ingestion and inhalation may occur when animals are in close or direct contact with a spill. The large baleen whales can suffer from oiling of their baleen. Ingestion through prey and damage to the food web are also possibilities.
“Crude and other oils are mixtures of a great many organic compounds many of which are toxic, and animals can ingest oil-derived compounds either directly from the water or with their food. Poisonous vapours can also be inhaled and especially as the more volatile components evaporate into the air from freshly spilled oil” said Mark Simmonds, WDCS International Director of Science. “Regrettably, whales and dolphins are unlikely to avoid oils spills and the more extensive the spill, the greater the encounter rate is likely to be. There will also be chronic effects of oil entering food-chains. Much of this is going to happen far away from the human eye and if whales or dolphins are killed or otherwise affected, we are unlikely to be witness to this. All of this further explains the need to keep fossil fuel plants out of important wildlife areas.”
Opportunistic observational research of wild animals has shown that the bottlenose dolphins observed during a fresh spill could detect slick and mousse oils but did not react to lighter sheen oil. Groups hesitated and milled when the encountered slick oil, eventually diving under small patches but continuing through extensive areas.
A recent whale survey, supported by the Wilderness Society and Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures recorded 162 humpback whales in 102 separate pods south west of the spill area. A local whale researcher said this was just a snapshot of the number of whales that aggregate in this area to feed and give birth.
“This situation is dire and cetacean populations will come through this as the losers. This offshore spill is unlikely to result in animal bodies floating to shore, but the potential of impact must be assumed acted upon, rather than waiting for visible evidence” said Margi Prideaux, WDCS.
Please help WDCS and the Australian groups in calling for the Australian Government to take immediate action on the spill
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