The news is full of pictures of some of the victims of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster—oiled pelicans, gannets and shorebirds that have died, or in some cases, been rescued. But the list of birds in the path of the oil spill is long, and includes a number of “pelagic” species—those that spend most of their lives far out at sea, out of the public eye. The danger to them may be less visible, but it is no less real.
Oil can affect seabirds in a range of ways, including hypothermia or drowning caused by oil-coated feathers, exposure to oil fumes, and ingesting oil or toxic fish and marine invertebrates.
Read our factsheet to learn more about how seabirds will be impacted by the Gulf oil disaster.
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