We're now beginning to see just what deadly impacts this spill is having on marine life, however, it will be some time before we know the full effects that this spill had. For example, 29 dead dolphins have been found in the area, bringing March's total to 47. This is triple last year's total of 15 stranded dolphins.
Moreover, bird species were hit particularly hard by the oil spill, which happened close to important bird sanctuaries during a critical migratory period. Twenty species of birds has been affected, including the endangered Piping plover. So far, 258 oiled birds have been recovered, only 8 of them still alive.
These species and many more have been constantly under assault from oil and gas operations in the region. The unfortunate reality is that this massive spill was not an anomaly, some isolated glitch in an otherwise safe practice. Galveston Bay alone averages 285 spills a year over the past 15 years, with an average of around 100 gallons per spill. The volume of spilled oils can wreak havoc on coastal communities and their surrounding environment.