Working with two crews on nine hour shifts and going 18 hours a day, the stations could clean only 180 to 230 birds per day. Oil mats the feathers of birds, and that leads to death in a number of ways. Matted underfeathers or down cease to insulate and birds die of hypothermia. Oil coated feathers make it impossible for the birds to fly to safe areas. Birds exhaust themselves trying to stay afloat after oil destroys the water repellency of their feathers.
Marine mammals are better off in some ways.
Although biologists worry about the plight of the sea otters, they are optimistic that seals, sea lions and whales can avoid the oil. Whether the animals will be harmed by oil that gets in their eyes or that they swallow remains to be discovered. Timm said biologists plan to take tissue samples from any seals or sea lions they find dead in the Sound in hopes of learning more. Schneider also worries about animals that live in the nearby forests and roam onto the tidelands in search of food. Mink, land otters and bears could be harmed.