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April 2010

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

FACT SHEET

Fishing

One of the biggest industries in the Gulf of Mexico is the fishing (commercial and recreational).

More than three million (3.2 million) recreational fishers took fishing trips in the GOM in 2008, totally 24 

million fishing trips.

In 2008, commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico harvested 1.27 million pounds of finfish and 

shellfish. Commercial fishermen earned $659 million in total landings revenue in 2008. Two of the 

largest commercial fishing operations in the Gulf of Mexico are red snapper and shrimp. Brown shrimp is 

the most important species in the U.S. Gulf fishery, with principal catches made from June through 

October.

The following shrimp species are found in the Gulf of Mexico:

Brown shrimp (Penaeus aztecus Ives)

White shrimp (Penaeus setiferus Linnaeus)

Pink shrimp (Penaeus duorarum Burkenroad)

Royal red shrimp (Hymenopenaeus robustus Smith)

Seabobs (Xiahooeneus kroverl Heller) - INCIDENTAL BYCATCH

Rock shrimp (Sicyonia brevirostris Stimpton) - INCIDENTAL BYCATCH

Marine Mammals

There are two resident species of large whales in the Gulf of Mexico that may occur in the area of the 

spill: 

Bryde's whales

Sperm whales (endangered)

Bryde's whales (pronounced Brew-duhs) are not listed as endangered or threatened, but they are protected 

under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Bryde's whales are baleen whales, meaning they have hairlike "teeth" in their mouths that the whales use to filter water and trap their food. A small population of 

Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni), the only baleen whale to commonly occur in the Gulf, inhabits the 

shelf break region in the northeastern Gulf.

Sperm whales are much more abundant than Bryde's whales and are found throughout the northern Gulf 

of Mexico, especially near the 1,000m depth contour. Sperm whales are listed as Endangered under the 

Endangered Species Act, and are also protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Sperm whales 

are the largest toothed whales, and they hunt relatively large-bodied prey in deep water.
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The following 21 marine mammals that routinely inhabit the northern Gulf are protected under the U.S. 

Marine Mammal Protection Act:

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1) Bottlenose dolphin

2) Atlantic spotted dolphin 

3) Bryde’s whale

4) Sperm whale (also protected by the 

Endangered Species Act)

5) Dwarf sperm whale 

6) Pygmy sperm whale

7) Cuvier’s beaked whale 

8) Blainville’s beaked whale

9) Gervais’ beaked whale

10) Short-finned pilot whale

11) Killer whale 

12) False killer whale 

13) Pygmy killer whale 

14) Melon-headed whale 

15) Risso’s dolphin

16) Rough-toothed dolphin 

17) Fraser’s dolphin 

18) Pantropical spotted dolphin

19) Striped dolphin 

20) Clymene dolphin

21) Spinner dolphin 

The greatest threat to whales from the oil spill is probably fouling of the baleen. If Bryde's whales are 

skim-feeding in the slick or otherwise get oil in their mouths, the oil would quickly clog and foul the 

baleen. Fouled baleen could lead to compromised feeding, starvation and death. Skin contact or inhalation 

exposure is probably a much less serious risk for large whales, and would probably only have sub-lethal 

effects. Long-term impacts are also possible through take-up of oil components through the food chain 

and likely "biomagnification" of the contaminants in large marine mammals.

There are nine species of dolphins that routinely inhabit the northern Gulf and are protected under the 

U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act:

1) Bottlenose dolphin

2) Atlantic spotted dolphin

3) Risso’s dolphin

4) Rough-toothed dolphin 

5) Fraser’s dolphin 

6) Pantropical spotted dolphin

7) Striped dolphin 

8) Clymene dolphin

9) Spinner dolphin 

Sea Turtles

There are five species of turtles that inhabit the Gulf of Mexico:

Kemp’s Ridley, Lepidochelys kempii (endangered)

Leatherback, Dermochelys coriacea (endangered)

Loggerhead, Caretta caretta (threatened)

Green, Chelonia mydas (endangered)

Hawksbill, Eretmochelys imbricate (threatened)

Possible -- olive ridley, Lepidochelys olivacea (threatened)

The only place in the world that the Kemp’s Ridley nests is in the western Gulf of Mexico. They are now 

in the peak of their nesting season. One of the only foraging grounds for the Kemp’s Ridley is in the area 

of the oil spill. They are currently foraging there.