In the case of diving birds, the oil also decreases the effectiveness of the fur to provide buoyancy. The ability of the birds to fly is also inhibited and thus they cannot find food and are more susceptible to predation. This was the case for the bald eagles, which were also affected by disturbance of nesting sites during shoreline cleanup activities. A drop in fish population density was observed in 1990 and recovery was observed in 1991. Similar effects were seen in fish biomass.
Sea otters are the most abundant marine mammal in the area of the Valdez oil spill.
Autopsy results indicated changes in the lungs, liver, and kidney associated with exposure to the oil. Pathological lesions and elevated hydrocarbon concentrations in tissue samples were also found. As described above, the sea otters were also affected by the coating of oil on their fur, leading to ingestion of the oil and hypothermia. Ingestion of the oil causes interstitial pulmonary emphysema, compromising respiration. Because they were spending so much time trying to clean the oil out of their fur they were not spending enough time searching for food and their energy level decreased rapidly.