Possible Oil Impacts on Atlantic Tarpon
Gulf oil spill could affect Atlantic tuna, tarpon, sea mammals
By Renee Schoof and Karen Nelson / McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON - Oil from a ruptured drilling rig could harm all kinds of
marine life in the Gulf of Mexico, from the Atlantic tarpon and bluefin
tuna that have key spawning areas nearby to endangered sea turtles,
commercial fisheries, migrating song birds and marine mammals.
The spill gushed oil at the rate of about 210,000 gallons a day Thursday
and was headed toward the wetlands and shrimp, crab and oyster nurseries
of Louisiana, possibly arriving overnight Thursday. It’s too early to know
the toll yet, and the worst damage is expected when the oil hits wetlands
and beaches. Still, experts say that one of the nation’s biggest oil
spills threatens many animals in the open water as well.
Of particular concern to BTT is that the spill is taking place just as tarpon spawning season is beginning, and if tarpon spawn offshore, as our limited data suggests, the oil slick could impact spawning.