Sperm whales found from oil spill

We assume that lethal impacts of a disturbance reduce survival rates while sublethal impacts reduce fecundity. So, what can we do? These functions account for the duration and the severity of reduction in the vital rates. Whitehead said, when a young sperm whale died, its mother carried its carcass around in her mouth. There are also significant genetic differences between sperm whales in the GoM compared to those in the North Atlantic Ocean Jochens et al. That, along with other acoustic archives of sperm whale calls from around the Gulf of Mexico and a rapid response grant from the National Science Foundation given to gather more acoustic data right after the spill, has allowed scientists to draw some preliminary conclusions about sperm whales' reactions to the spill.

Recent Popular. In a press release sent to The Huffington Post, Davies added:. Learn More. All rights reserved. June 17, By AP. NOAA spokesman Ben Sherman told Mother Jones on Wednesday morning that the agency did conduct tests on the whale samples, but "because the animal was so badly decomposed the cause of death could not be determined.

Analysis of sperm whale skin samples showed mean levels of Ni and Cr at significantly higher levels than those found in whales collected around the world prior to the spill. Juska adds that the sperm whale incident has raised concerns about the veracity of the data released by NOAA regarding the animals affected by the spill. Get unlimited Monitor journalism. US Edition U.