Clearwater aquarium waiting to help sea creatures in oil spill

Wildlife rehabilitation experts at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium are on standby, waiting for a summons from federal officials to help sea turtles and dolphins affected by the spreading oil slick off the Louisiana coast.

Any recovery effort for sickened sea turtles or marine mammals that encounter oil is directed by the National Marine Fisheries Service, an agency that is a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

So far, no call has come to the aquarium, David Yates, chief executive officer, said today.

No private organizations can rescue animals sickened by the oil without approval from the fisheries agency, he said.

If called, aquarium workers and possibly some volunteers would need special training to handle oil-coated animals, he said.

Training would cover how to handle hazardous materials, instruction on safety for the workers and how to deal with the specific animals, said Danielle O'Neill, the aquarium's manager for sea turtles.

The aquarium may be called to assist rescue efforts anywhere in the Gulf of Mexico or act closer to home if the sprawling mass of oil makes it to the Pinellas County coast, Yates said.

At this point, the aquarium does not need additional volunteers, he said.

The aquarium could handle marine mammals such as dolphins and sea turtles.

The fisheries service has extensive experience in handling the effects of oil spills on marine creatures.

"They have it down to a T," O'Neil said.

Normally, the aquarium has room for one or two dolphins, but more could be accommodated by adding temporary tanks, said Abby Stone, the aquarium's manager for marine mammals.

The same would apply to sea turtles, O'Neil said.

Though it's unclear how the oil could affect turtles, they could inhale oil and toxic vapors when surfacing to breathe, they could eat prey covered with oil and the oil could soak into the turtles' eyes and mouths, she said.

The oil could harm their lungs and digestive organs and burn their eyes and skin. Healing the digestive injuries would require antibiotics, extra nutrition and time.

The turtle nesting season is starting, although no nests have been spotted on Pinellas beaches.

Turtle hatchlings could be especially vulnerable to the oil because they spend their first year hiding amid rafts of floating seaweed, O'Neil said.

The effect on dolphins and whales is less certain, Stone said. They may be able to swim away from the oil and spend less time at the surface.

But they could ingest, inhale and absorb the oil through their eyes and mouths, she said.

Because they spend most of their time in open water and travel long distances, a dolphin or whale may be far from the oil when its effects show up, Stone said.

Any killed by the oil may never be found. Rescue efforts would probably only take place if the dolphin was stranded on a beach or in shallow water.

Seabirds that encounter oil can suffer internally and externally.

Oil coating feathers destroys their ability to trap body heat. Some may lose the ability to fly or float.
As they preen, they ingest oil that can damage internal organs.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the oil spill could affect up to 20 national wildlife refuges, and four covering more than 70,000 acres are in immediate concern.

One wildlife rehabilitation center is set up in Venice, La., and one is planned for Mobile, Ala.