Oil spill

[bmccasland]

There was an auto-shut off, it malfunctioned. Unfortunately it's waaay down at the bottom

The spill has hit Chandelieur National Wildlife Refuge - a refuge on barrier islands. It's also hit the jetties on the South Pass shipping channel of the Mississippi River. FYI - the most common one used by the big ships is Southwest Pass.

To get an idea of what the Miss River delta looks like, stick you left arm out and splay your fingers. SW Pass is your index finger, S Pass is your middle. Tiger Pass is your thumb. About your wrist is Venice which has been mentioned in some of the news coverage. Then your arm is all that river, encased by levees, natural and man-made, marshes or not on either side - eventually coming to your shoulder which is where the New Orleans metro area is. Drive time from New Orleans to Venice is 2 hours (the road is NOT straight).

And the oil rig that went down was off of S Pass, 50 miles.

[bmccasland]

Just got this email -
(I should explain that Audubon Nature Institute is best known for Audubon Zoo and Audubon Aquarium, they are not affiliated with the birding Audubon Society)

At Audubon Nature Institute, we are heartbroken to learn of the loss of life and the potential for ecological disaster to Louisiana's coastline in the wake of the oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. So much remains unknown and inexplicable. What we do know is that Audubon Nature Institute has expertise and resources we can mobilize to do our part to lessen the impact of this tragedy on our area's precious wildlife.

We are proud to let you know that Audubon Aquarium of the Americas http://www.auduboninstitute.org marine mammal trainer Michele Kelley is the statewide coordinator for the Louisiana Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program (LMMSTRP). She is working tirelessly with NOAA to ready Audubon facilities for an unpredictable number of oiled animals such as dolphins, whales, manatees and sea turtles. Audubon employees and volunteers will work in triage for as long as it takes to give these injured animals the best possible chance for recovery.

We don't know how our future will be affected by this unprecedented situation. But you can rest assured that the dedicated employees of Audubon Nature Institute will meet this challenge, doing the very best for the wildlife we all cherish. We couldn't do it without your support, and for that we are most grateful.

As our role becomes clearer, we will keep you informed of ways you can get involved. Thank you for joining us in this critical endeavor to save our state's animals.

Sincerely,

L. Ronald Forman
President and CEO
Audubon Nature Institute

If you are so inclined to donate to a cause - they are a non-profit worthy group.