Marine Mammals and the Exxon Valdez (eBook)

Front Cover 1
Marine Mammals and the Exxon Valdez 4
Copyright Page 5
Table of Contents 6
Contributors 10
Foreword 14
Preface 18
Acknowledgments 20
Chapter 1. Overview of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, 1989–1992 22
INTRODUCTION 22
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING OF THE OIL SPILL AREA 23
INITIAL RESPONSE EFFORT 27
FATE AND EFFECT OF SPILLED OIL 32
RESULTS AND PREVENTION ACTIVITIES 39
OIL SPILL SETTLEMENT 40
RESTORATION AND OTHER POSTSETTLEMENT ACTIVITIES 42
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 42
REFERENCES 43
Chapter 2. Response Activities 44
INTRODUCTION 44
INITIAL SURVEYS 48
RESPONSE ACTIVITIES SUPPORTING THE FOSC 52
WILDLIFE RESCUE AND REHABILITATION 56
COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL OF DEAD ANIMALS 62
INITIAL DECISIONS REGARDING ASSESSMENT STUDIES 64
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 65
REFERENCES 65
Chapter 3. An Overview of Sea Otter Studies 68
INTRODUCTION 68
STUDIES OF ACUTE INJURY TO SEA OTTERS 69
STUDIES OF CHRONIC INJURY TO SEA OTTERS 72
CONTINUING POSTSPILL STUDIES OF SEA OTTERS 76
CONCLUSIONS 77
REFERENCES 78
Chapter 4. Boat-Based Population Surveys of Sea Otters in Prince William Sound 82
INTRODUCTION 82
METHODS 83
RESULTS 90
DISCUSSION 97
CONCLUSIONS 99
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 100
REFERENCES 100
Chapter 5. An Intersection Model for Estimating Sea Otter Mortality along the Kenai Peninsula 102
INTRODUCTION 102
METHODS 103
RESULTS 111
DISCUSSION 113
CONCLUSIONS 115
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 116
REFERENCES 116
Chapter 6. Impacts on Distribution, Abundance, and Productivity of Harbor Seals 118
INTRODUCTION 118
METHODS 119
RESULTS 124
DISCUSSION 128
CONCLUSIONS 133
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 134
REFERENCES 134
Chapter 7. Impacts on Steller Sea Lions 140
INTRODUCTION 140
METHODS 142
RESULTS 146
DISCUSSION 157
CONCLUSIONS 158
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 159
REFERENCES 159
Chapter 8. Status of Killer Whales in Prince William Sound, 1985–1992 162
INTRODUCTION 162
METHODS 163
RESULTS 168
DISCUSSION 178
CONCLUSIONS 181
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 181
REFERENCES 182
Chapter 9. Assessment of Injuries to Prince William Sound Killer Whales 184
INTRODUCTION 184
PHOTO-IDENTIFICATION 185
BIAS IN SURVEY COVERAGE 185
MOVEMENT OF WHALES OUT OF THE SURVEY AREA 186
NATURAL MORTALITY 187
FISHERIES INTERACTIONS 188
RECOVERY OF THE AB POD 190
CONCLUSIONS 191
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 191
REFERENCES 191
Chapter 10. Impacts on Humpback Whales in Prince William Sound 194
INTRODUCTION 194
METHODS 195
RESULTS 199
DISCUSSION 207
CONCLUSIONS 209
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 210
REFERENCES 210
Chapter 11. Sea Otter Foraging Behavior and Hydrocarbon Levels in Prey 214
INTRODUCTION 214
METHODS 215
RESULTS 219
DISCUSSION 224
CONCLUSIONS 227
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 227
REFERENCES 228
Chapter 12. Observations of Oiling of Harbor Seals in Prince William Sound 230
INTRODUCTION 230
METHODS 231
RESULTS 233
DISCUSSION 241
CONCLUSIONS 245
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 246
REFERENCES 246
Chapter 13. Health Evaluation, Rehabilitation, and Release of Oiled Harbor Seal Pups 248
INTRODUCTION 248
CAPTURE, CLEANING, AND REHABILITATION OF OILED SEAL PUPS 249
CLINICAL EVALUATION AND CARE OF OILED PUPS 251
CRITERIA FOR REINTRODUCING REHABILITATED SEAL PUPS TO THE WILD 254
RISKS AND BENEFITS OF REHABILITATING HARBOR SEAL PUPS 258
CONCLUSIONS 260
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 260
REFERENCES 261
Chapter 14. Effects of Masking Noise on Detection Thresholds of Killer Whales 264
INTRODUCTION 264
METHODS 266
RESULTS 271
DISCUSSION 274
CONCLUSIONS 276
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 276
REFERENCES 277
Chapter 15. Cetaceans in Oil 278
INTRODUCTION 278
METHODS 279
RESULTS 281
DISCUSSION 282
CONCLUSIONS 284
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 285
REFERENCES 285
Chapter 16. Pathology of Sea Otters 286
INTRODUCTION 286
SEA OTTERS THAT DIED IN REHABILITATION CENTERS 287
SEA OTTERS THAT DIED IN THE WILD 295
CONCLUSIONS 298
REFERENCES 299
Chapter 17. Gross Necropsy and Histopathological Lesions Found in Harbor Seals 302
INTRODUCTION 302
METHODS 303
RESULTS 304
DISCUSSION 319
CONCLUSIONS 325
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 326
REFERENCES 326
Chapter 18. Hydrocarbon Residues in Sea Otter Tissues 334
INTRODUCTION 334
METHODS 335
RESULTS 337
DISCUSSION 344
CONCLUSIONS 348
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 349
REFERENCES 349
Chapter 19. Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Tissues of Harbor Seals from Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska 352
INTRODUCTION 352
METHODS 353
RESULTS 354
DISCUSSION 360
CONCLUSIONS 368
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 369
REFERENCES 369
Chapter 20. Tissue Hydrocarbon Levels and the Number of Cetaceans Found Dead after the Spill 380
INTRODUCTION 380
METHODS 381
RESULTS 382
DISCUSSION 385
CONCLUSIONS 389
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 389
REFERENCES 390
Chapter 21. Summary and Conclusions 392
REFERENCES 396
Appendix I: Sample Collection, Storage, and Documentation 398
SAMPLE COLLECTION PROTOCOL 398
STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLES 402
REFERENCES 403
Appendix II: Oil Tanker Accidents 404
Subject Index 406