Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How did the Deepwater Horizon spill affect brown pelican populations?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Fireboat response crews attempt to extinguish the blaze aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, April 21, 2010.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill had a devastating impact on the brown pelican, a species that had only recently been removed from the endangered species list at the time of the disaster.1
Birds in the region were highly vulnerable to the oil, which caused fatalities by interfering with their ability to regulate body temperature and through the ingestion of toxins during preening. A 2014 study projected that approximately 12 percent of the brown pelican population in the area affected by the spill had been wiped out.12