title: Health of common bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, following the deepwater horizon oil spill.
abstract: The oil spill resulting from the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform initiated immediate concern for marine wildlife, including common bottlenose dolphins in sensitive coastal habitats. To evaluate potential sublethal effects on dolphins, health assessments were conducted in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, an area that received heavy and prolonged oiling, and in a reference site, Sarasota Bay, Florida, where oil was not observed. Dolphins were temporarily captured, received a veterinary examination, and were then released. Dolphins sampled in Barataria Bay showed evidence of hypoadrenocorticism, consistent with adrenal toxicity as previously reported for laboratory mammals exposed to oil. Barataria Bay dolphins were 5 times more likely to have moderate-severe lung disease, generally characterized by significant alveolar interstitial syndrome, lung masses, and pulmonary consolidation. Of 29 dolphins evaluated from Barataria Bay, 48% were given a guarded or worse prognosis, and 17% were considered poor or grave, indicating that they were not expected to survive. Disease conditions in Barataria Bay dolphins were significantly greater in prevalence and severity than those in Sarasota Bay dolphins, as well as those previously reported in other wild dolphin populations. Many disease conditions observed in Barataria Bay dolphins are uncommon but consistent with petroleum hydrocarbon exposure and toxicity.
authors.affiliation: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, South Carolina 29412, United States.
authors.forename: Lori H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Schwacke
authors.forename: Cynthia R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Forrest I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.forename: Randall S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: Leslie B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: Brian C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Balmer
authors.forename: Tracy K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Guise
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Fry
authors.forename: Louis J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Guillette
authors.forename: Stephen V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Lamb
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: Wayne E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: McFee
authors.forename: Ned J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Place
authors.forename: Mandy C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tumlin
authors.forename: Gina M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ylitalo
authors.forename: Eric S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Zolman
authors.forename: Teresa K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Rowles
mesh_terms: D000309:Adrenal Insufficiency / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D061006:Bays; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D008145:Louisiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D059392:Petroleum Pollution