Sunday, May 09, 2010
A Kemp's Ridley sea turtle hatchling (photo: National Park Service)
Government scientists are denying media access to necropsies being performed on dozens of dead sea turtles found washed up along the Gulf of Mexico coast. Thirty five young Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, an endangered species, have been discovered on beaches from Louisiana to Alabama, prompting initial speculation that the deaths were related to the ongoing oil disaster in the Gulf.
But Barbara Schroeder, the national sea turtle coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), says the post-mortem examinations indicate the turtles did not die because of the oil spill. She added there was no physical evidence that the sea turtles came into contact with the oil.
Instead, officials are considering another cause of death: shrimp boats. In the wake of the accident at the Deep Horizon oil platform, shrimpers may have accelerated their harvesting to gather as many shrimp as possible before the encroaching oil ruined their season. Speculation centers around whether shrimpers stopped using special devices on their nets to allow sea turtles to escape, in order to maximize their haul.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Public Barred from Turtle Necropsies (by James Edward Bates, Biloxi-Gulfport Sun Herald)
Govt. Investigates Shrimpers in Gulf Turtle Deaths (by Brian Skoloff, Associated Press)
Oil Spill May Not Be Cause of Sea Turtle Deaths, Officials Say (by Donna Melton, McClatchy Newspapers)
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