3 questions with Georgia Aquarium's chief vet about oil spill

By Lynn Peisner

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Greg Bossart, the chief veterinary officer and a senior vice president with the Georgia Aquarium, is watching the Gulf of Mexico oil spill carefully.

As a member of the Southeast U.S. Marine Mammal Stranding Network, the aquarium is on alert, ready to offer its facilities in Atlanta and at the Dolphin Conservation Center in Marineland, Fla., to aid in rehabilitating various small species of dolphins and sea turtles.

Bossart said images of "oil spill poster animals" are likely to increase as the oil flows from the source of the spill at the bottom of the gulf to the surface. But for now, he said oil is primarily damaging the smallest animals at the bottom of the food chain.

Q: As a specialist in wildlife pathology, what concerns you the most about the oil spill?

A: This is an unprecedented event in terms of its potential to impact the complex, interrelated ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico. My real concern is what we are not seeing at this time.

Most oil spills are initially surface events and involve a finite amount of oil that stops spilling in a relatively short time period. This spill is novel because it is spilling from a depth of 1 mile and has not stopped in over a month and continues to grow. Because many of the effects are difficult to observe, they may appear subtle but could actually be more profound in the long run because the oil impacts the microorganisms that make up the base of the various food chains involved. We do not have a good historical template to work from to predict the long-term damage.

Q: Is it more likely the aquarium's facilities will be be needed once more oil rises to the surface, washes ashore or gets swept up in currents?

A: Yes, however, it is difficult say if and when. This is challenging to predict and depends on many variables such as how much oil eventually comes ashore and if the impacted animals strand alive or dead.

As of June 1, 277 sea turtles have stranded and 232 of these have stranded dead, so no live animal rescue or rehab can occur and it is up to pathologists to determine the cause of death. It's also important to note that external oil was found on only 24 turtles.

Also, over the same period, 29 dead dolphins, 28 with no signs of external oil, have been found in the gulf region, which is also higher over the same time period from past years. One question that remains, is the number of stranded sea turtles and dolphins due to increased detection and reporting, a consequence of oil or a combination of both?

Q: Having worked on a United Nations team at the scene of the Persian Gulf oil spill in 1991, what’s your biggest takeaway from a disaster like this?

A: The Arabian Gulf oil spill was epic, estimated [at] 462 million gallons, and not an accident. It was an unprecedented event. The present gulf spill is an accident and also unprecedented, but for far different reasons. Bottom line, humans are historically poor stewards of what we have been given to manage until it becomes a crisis. The ongoing gulf spill only highlights this aspect of human nature.