Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

A late March collision between two ships in Galveston Bay caused a leak in one of them, spilling more than168-thousand gallons of fuel oil into the Gulf.

06— This time of year is particularly of concern to us because it’s the spring migration, we’ve got a lot of migratory shore birds moving through.

Andy Tirpak is with the Ecosystem Resources Assessment Team at Texas Parks and Wildlife.

08— So, in essence we’ve got oil on the beach where birds are coming through to rest, to feed, as they continue their migration. So it’s challenging right now.

Shortly after the spill, rescuers discovered oil-slicked and injured birds all along the coastline. Biologist A.J. Vale, with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, is among the many wildlife advocates on hand to save them.

10— It’s just tough seeing the birds all oiled and struggling. They’re trying to clean themselves and they ingest the oil and it must make them really sick.

Andy Tirpak says they’re working against the clock to clean up this vital ecosystem.

10— It’s not just that we’re going to try to save the birds. If we try to save the birds – that’s great, that’s good – but we also need to be worried about impacts in the sand and the things that live in the sand that the birds are feeding upon.

Hundreds of shorebirds are dead or oil coated. By early April, oil from the spill in Galveston Bay drifted ashore on Padre Island National Seashore. Check for updates on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.