Sea turtle stranding responders, working under the guidance of the Wildlife Branch Unit of the Unified Command, which includes several NOAA experts, are responding to dead and live sea turtle strandings and offshore teams are searching for and rescuing oiled sea turtles from the area affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill .
All the live oiled turtles are cleaned of oil and are being treated and cared for at one of four primarily de-oiling centers across the northern Gulf of Mexico or at secondary rehabilitation facilities once they are stabilized.
NOAA experts are examining turtles that have stranded in the area affected by the oil spill to determine, if possible, whether their deaths can be linked to oil, or another cause. All of the turtles are being sampled externally for oil and tissue samples are being taken during necropsy when the condition of the carcass is sufficiently fresh. The majority of the turtles recovered as strandings have not had external oil.
In contrast, the vast majority of turtles captured offshore during directed surveys are externally oiled. Aerial surveys have documented sea turtles swimming in oiled areas and in unoiled areas. We do believe that this spill will significantly affect sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico.
General Effects of Oil on Sea Turtles
Sea turtles may be exposed to chemicals in oil or to chemicals in products such as dispersants used in two ways: internally (eating or swallowing oil, consuming prey containing oil based chemicals, or inhaling of volatile oil related compounds) and externally (swimming in oil or dispersants).
Several aspects of sea turtle behavior put them at risk. Young turtles use highly productive areas where ocean currents meet, known as surface converage zones. Here, the marine algae Sargassum grows and thrives at the surface, providing feeding and sheltering habitat. Oil has also collected in these zones, leading many of these small, young turtles to come into direct contact with oil. Oil covering their bodies can interfere with breathing, coat the eyes and skin, and can cause them to become stuck in the oil. Oil ingested directly or when eating oiled prey items may interfere with digestion or cause internal organ damage. [READ MORE]