New Gulf spill numbers: 600 turtles dead

Six hundred dead sea turtles in the Gulf might seem like a fairly small number given the enormity of this year's catastrophic oil spill, but the fact that each species is struggling for survival makes the impact greater than its numbers alone. From the Economic Times:

Among the saddest images from BP Plc's three-month-long oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico were those of oil-slicked birds struggling to survive. US officials said preliminary information showed the disaster may have killed up to 6,104 birds and 609 turtles. But on the positive side, the figures showed that more than 14,000 turtle hatchlings emerged from nests that were relocated to beaches away from the oil spill. .... The report was based on input from wildlife collection centres, government departments and other sources, but officials warned that the figures reflected "only the initial, field-level, evaluation". More investigation was needed and not all of the injured and dead wildlife were "necessarily" caused by the BP spill, officials said.

Nest relocation may have helped prevent a true tragedy. There were 278 nests relocated, and as of today 14,676 hatchlings have emerged.