BP Oil Spill Causing Dolphin Deaths, Abnormal Fish

As the five year anniversary of the infamous BP oil spill approaches, a new report has revealed that 20 species of wildlife are still dealing with the damage from the disaster's aftermath, with dolphins dying in high numbers and abnormal fish being born.

"Five years later, wildlife in the Gulf are still feeling the impacts of the oil spill," Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, who was involved in the study, said in a statement. "The science is clear that this is not over - and sea turtles, dolphins, fish, and birds are still suffering from the fallout. Holding BP fully accountable and using all fines and penalties to restore the Gulf of Mexico must be a national priority."

In April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig, operated by BP, exploded and dumped about 4.1 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. So it's no surprise that this catastrophe is wreaking havoc on the region's marine life, and this is not the first time that scientists have raised concerns.

It has previously been reported that a decline in Texas sea turtles - a critically endangered species - is linked to the BP spill. Also, skin lesions found on a large number of fish, damage to Gulf corals, dolphins with hormone abnormalities, and less speedy mahi mahi fish have all been tied to the oil spill.

Now, a team of researchers is delving deeper into the harmful effects of the BP disaster, which apparently have endured even five years later.

Among the findings in Five Years and Counting: Gulf Wildlife in the Aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon Disaster, they reveal that the amount of dolphins found dead on the Louisiana coast in 2014 were four times historic rates. It is suggested that these ongoing deaths are connected to the oil spill. (Scroll to read on...)