NOAA Study Reports Failed Pregnancies in Gulf Dolphins After 2010 Oil Spill

NOVEMBER 6, 2015--A recently published study led by NOAA researchers found a trend of reproductive failure and death in Gulf bottlenose dolphins over nearly five years of monitoring after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Of the 10 Barataria Bay dolphins confirmed to be pregnant during a 2011 health assessment, only two successfully gave birth to calves that have survived.
This unusually low rate of reproductive success—only 20%—stands in contrast to the 83% success rate in the generally healthier dolphins being studied in
Florida's Sarasota Bay, an area not affected by Deepwater Horizon oil.

Read more about the findings of this latest study examining the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on marine life.

For further information, contact Tom.Brosnan@noaa.gov.

See full story: Births Down and Deaths Up in Gulf Dolphins Affected by Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

Dolphin pushing dead calf through water.

Dolphin Y01 pushes a dead calf through the waters of Barataria Bay, Louisiana, in March 2013. This behavior is sometimes observed in female dolphins when their newborn calf does not survive. Barataria Bay dolphins have seen a disturbingly low rate of reproductive success in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries)

Last updated Tuesday, November 8, 2022 1:53pm PST