One tarball from a Los Angeles County beach, approximately 150km south of the spill, was confirmed as matching oil from this spill. No further live oiled birds have been found in recent weeks but one live marine mammal was rescued.
Tarballs from natural undersea seeps are common in LA county, thus results from one sample out of 100 taken does not mean that all tar found on these beaches was from the Refugio spill. Rescuers found one oiled bird on the LA beach and transported it to the LA oiled bird centre.
As of Tuesday 2 June, the total number of birds rescued has increased to 57 live and 115 dead. Marine mammal totals are 42 alive and 58 dead. The estimate of the total amount of oil spilled has been lowered to approximately 100,000 US gallons. A preliminary report from the US Department of Transportation notes 45% metal loss in the area where the pipeline ruptured. Clean up and beach surveys continue. Refugio State Beach will remain closed until 18 June.
Tallies on the Oiled Wildlife Care Network provide breakdowns by species. Of the 57 live birds collected, 40 are brown pelicans with a few guillemot (Uria aalge), Pacific loon or diver (Gavia pacifica),Western gull (Larus occidentalis) and surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata). Fourteen additional species are listed among the birds recovered dead, mostly in small numbers (less than 5) and 31 birds are pending species identification.
Of the 57 live marine mammals taken into care the majority are California sea lions. The rest are norhtern elephant seals. Nine dead dolphins and 36 dead sea lions are reported. In all cases full post mortem examinations will need to be done on the dead birds and mammals to determine whether the oil played a part in their deaths.
Cleanup efforts continue on the oil spill, now known as the Santa Barbara Spill, based on its proximity to that California city, or the Refugio Spill, after the state park adjacent to the pipeline break. Oiled birds are being stablised before being transported to the Los Angeles Oiled Bird Care and Education Center, which is operated by International Bird Rescue. Marine mammals are being cared for at the Oiled Wildlife Care Center at SeaWorld San Diego.
The information on marine mammal deaths must be viewed in light of the record numbers of starving juvenile California sea lions that began stranding earlier in the year. As seals and sea lions are not dependent on their fur for warmth, they are less likely to die of oil-related conditions in the early stages of an oil spill. Postmortem examinations will help to determine whether oil played a role in the deaths reported to date. The ongoing sea lion die-off is tentatively being linked to patches of warm water sending prey species of fish further offshore, according to a National Geographic article.
US and state government agencies and NGOs are responding to an oil spill from a ruptured pipeline near the California coast on 19 May 2015. Five pelicans have been taken into care, at least one dead bird and a number of dead fish have been recovered.
Oil from the pipeline traveled down a storm drain into the sea. The latest estimates put the amount of oil spilled at 105,000 US gallons. It is not yet clear how much of that oil made it to the sea, however first estimates suggest at least 21,000 gallons, make up the slick that has spread in two directions covering approximately 15 kilometres.
Overall response to the spill is coordinated by the US Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Oil Spill Prevention and Response is overseeing wildlife response activities and its Oiled Wildlife Care Network has been activated.
In addition to search and collection of affected birds, booms have been deployed to protect nesting and foraging habitat of snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus) and least tern (Sternula antillarum), both listed as endangered within the US. It is expected that the numbers of animals taken into care will increase as this area is home to multiple seabird and marine mammal species.
The Channel Islands, important habitat for birds, multiple species of seals, sea lions and fur seals, are 20 to 70km offshore and the channel between the islands and the mainland is a migratory and feeding area for several species of whale. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will manage any response to marine mammals and sea turtles if it is needed.
This region was the site of one of the largest spills in US history after a blowout at an offshore well. That 1969 spill is now the third largest as the Exxon Valdez incident in 1989 and the Deepwater Horizon blowout in 2010 were larger.
Resources:
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Cal Spill Watch website
LA Times. Full Coverage: Santa Barbara oil spill