Hobbies And Interests
Sea Birds
Recovery crews found more than 30,000 dead sea birds in the weeks following the spill. Scientists from the National Biological Service estimate the total number of birds lost is between 100,000 and 600,000. Cormorants, pigeon guillemots and yellow-billed loons were hit hard and a colony of murres on the Barren Islands was completely wiped out. A 1997 study published in the "Journal of Wildlife Management" estimated 247 bald eagles died from oil contamination. Species such as sea ducks that nest and feed in shallow, muddy areas have suffered long-term health and reproductive problems from oil that sank into the sediment.
Sea Otters
According to the World Wildlife Fund, roughly 1,000 sea otters died in the first few weeks after the spill. Sea otters depend on air pockets in their thick, water-proof fur to insulate them from the cold. Oil-coated otters lost that protection and froze to death. Other animals tried to clean themselves and ingested fatal amounts of oil. Some sea otters are believed to have died after swimming into polluted waters where they inhaled toxic vapors and ate contaminated shellfish. The WWF estimates a total of 4,000 sea otters died, while the remaining population has suffered from the destruction of kelp beds, an important habitat for the animals.
Killer Whales
Two small pods, or families, of killer whales that live and feed in Prince William Sound suffered losses during the spill. The first group of 22 transient whales lost nine members to the oil. Older whales in the group have since died and the younger members have been unable to reproduce. Scientists suspect residual toxins from the oil trapped in their blubber may have compromised their reproductive systems. The second family of killer whales lost 13 young whales during the spill and rebuilding the population is expected to take 30 years.
Herring
Herring, a small fish and an important link in the lower end of the food chain, showed some resilience after the spill. But in the early '90s, the herring population dropped dramatically. Researchers at the Prince William Sound Science Center say juvenile fish died during the spill while the oil compromised the health of older fish and made the population susceptible to disease. Herring, one of several species that has shown no signs of recovery, is an important source of food for birds, fish and sea mammals, and the loss of the stock has affected the entire ecosystem.