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Gulf Oil Spill: Animals at Risk

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Beach mice

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(Image credit: Florida Department of Environmental Protection)


A bevy of endangered mice - the Alabama beach mouse, Perdido Key beach mouse, Choctawhatchee beach mouse and St. Andrew beach mouse - are all in danger if oil reaches their shores. Beach mouse habitat has been lost to development and storms, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and domestic and wild cats hunt the nocturnal rodents for food. Each species has a limited range, and habitat devastation caused by oil could make it tough for beach mice to hang on.

Brown Pelicans

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(Image credit: U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nick Ameen)


The pesticide DDT nearly destroyed the brown pelican population in the late 1950s, and it was only after decades of struggle that the species the state bird of Louisiana -- got off the endangered list in late 2009. Now they face another danger.

Seabirds are particularly affected by oil because it clings to their feathers, destroying their ability to fly, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. Oiled feathers are also no longer waterproof, which means that birds may die of hypothermia. Or they may ingest oil while grooming themselves, causing organ damage and death.

Brown pelicans like to rest on the ocean surface and dive beneath for food, all of which puts them in danger of oil contamination. In 2005, a 15-barrel oil spill off the coast of Louisiana killed hundreds of pelicans. The current spill is estimated to be leaking 12,000 to 19,000 barrels per day.

Stephanie Pappas
Stephanie Pappas
Live Science Contributor

Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science, covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver, Colorado, and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor, the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association. Stephanie received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.