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BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS: MARINE MAMMALS AND SEA TURTLES
Citation:
Haebler, R. BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS: MARINE MAMMALS AND SEA TURTLES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/A-94/178 (NTIS PB95124772).
Description:
In the description of the Arthur Kill biological features presented in Chapter 1, marine mammals and sea turtles are not discussed since they are not regular residents of this area. owever, marine turtles, seals, and cetaccans are occasionally sighted in the Arthur Kill, and they are common inhabitants of the New York bight as well as most U.S. coastal waters. lthough the spill in the Arthur Kill did not harm these species, other spills have had serious effects. or example, only 9 months before the Arthur Kill spill occurred, the Exxon Valdez ran aground Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, prime habitat for marine mammals, and spilled over 11 million gallons of crude oil. il spills can occur at any time in waters where oil is either transported or drilled. n 1979, a massive blowout of the Ixtoc I oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, critical habitat to sea turtles and home range for many marine mammals, released over a half million gallons of oil per day for months (Hall, Belisle, and Sileo 1983). ll spills are different, varying in type and amount of oil spilled, species exposed, and geographic and atmospheric conditions. t is important to understand as much as possible about both the natural history and characteristics of various species and the specific effects oil has on wildlife. oing so improves the ability to extrapolate from one spill to another improves prediction of types and severity of effects to wildlife. his chapter presents an overview of the biological effects of oil on marine mammals and sea turtles. or a more detailed review of the biological effects of oil on marine mammals and sea turtles, see Geraci and St. Aubin 1990 and Hutchinson and Simmonds 1991.