Petition To Save Dwarf Seahorses from BP Oil Spill
I just started a new petition, after finding out that BP’s oil clean-up methods targets dwarf seahorses primary habitat in the Gulf, seagrass beds and seagrass mats. BP burns the mats, and the seahorses along with them.
If you find this as horrible as I do, please, sign the petition.
The dwarf seahorse, a small species found in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, faces extinction due the Deepwater Horizon oil spill contaminating it’s natural habitat. Now BP is burning seagrass mats where oil has collected, which is also home to the dwarf seahorses.
Seagrass mats become collection points for crude. Some of these were set alight in burn fields as BP tried to stop the oil washing on shore, burning seahorses that inhabit them along with the sea grass mats. Furthermore, thick clouds of oil in water typically starve seagrass of the light they need to survive, while toxic components of the oil as well as the millions of gallons of chemical dispersants used to break down the spill could also be shrinking suitable habitat for seahorses.
We are urging BP to continue to use booms in the cleanup to isolate the oil slicks. These can be skimmed, left to evaporate, or treated with biological agents like fertilizers, which promote the growth of micro-organisms that biodegrade oil.
Folks, I have collected dwarf seahorses since I moved to Florida first in 2007, first on the west coast of Florida, now on the East coast. I have yet to find one on the turtle grass flats, pipefish yes, seahorse no!!! I find them in the rolling gracilla algae and in a longer length type algae (species I dont know) There is no sign of oil here on the east coast of Florida (obviously) Anybody reporting or requesting a status change of the dwarf seahorse better have got their ass wet and tried to see where these beautifull animals really live. They live in a different habitat than what you read on the net.
April 6th, 2011 at 8:25 pmStop this nonsense now. It is bad enough the damage done; let’s not continue to kill…
May 11th, 2011 at 1:39 pmWow, what a jerk D;
May 23rd, 2011 at 8:53 am