Gulf Coast Recovery-Final Thoughts from My March Visit

The past week has offered another opportunity to witness the absolute beauty of the sacred shores of the Gulf Coast. While some areas appear unchanged or even worse, other areas appear to be slowly recovering. Unlike hurricane recovery, which is somewhat predictable, recovering from such a catastrophic environmental disaster, like the BP oil spill, is filled with unknown consequences, unknown outcomes.

Of the seven areas I continue to document, the one that had the greatest impact from the oil was the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Mobile Street access. One improvement I noted on the three visits I made there this trip was a higher number of sanderlings foraging along the tideline. Other findings? There was an unusually high number of worm casings washed up in large clusters at this beach as well as an unusually high number of bird feathers littering the beach…from pelicans, gulls, loons, terns. On my first visit it looked as if someone had plucked various birds and left their feathers along the beach. I kept expecting to see carcasses that would explain the source, but I never did. There were thousands of Portuguese Man-O-War jelly fish washed up on my third visit to this beach. Another oddity I have never seen before this visit.

While it is normal to see shells washed ashore after high surf, the beach at the refuge had enormous piles of shells lining the tide line. None of the other beaches I visited had such a tremendous amount of shells washed up. With all of the oil still submerged offshore here, I wonder what is happening to life that lives on the bottom at this location.

In addition, Bon Secour NWR area at Mobile Street continues to have a large shelf of mostly buried oil along the tide line. As well, the middle beach area is littered with tar balls that also get covered and uncovered by migrating sand. There continues to be a crude oil smell that varies in intensity with surf conditions. When waves stir up submerged oil, it becomes airborne evidenced by metal signs on the beach and my cameras and face becoming coated with salty-oily, brown mist blowing across the water.

March 7, 2011July 2, 2010

The beach at Gulf State Park Pier has definitely improved since the spill, at least in appearance. The snow-white sand is restored due to a deep-cleaning process which sifted 18 inches of sand through giant machines. This process of ‘strip-mining’ the beaches is not without potentially damaging side effects, one being negatively affecting potential nesting areas of sea turtles which need tightly compressed sand to lay eggs. At least it looks better. Of course, there are still tar balls washing up on the beach. Thankfully, there are visitors who take sand buckets and pickup tar balls, in an effort to keep the beaches clean.

March 7, 2011
July 2010
Each area shares a teaching in this puzzling recovery from the spill. I’ve been documenting a flock of sea gulls at Gulf State Park Pier beach since oil came ashore. When the oil was thick on the beach, I noticed gulls panting, acting lethargic and exhibiting other odd behaviors. With each subsequent visit, new signs of chemical poisoning appeared. I documented orange growths on feet and legs of the shorebirds there as well as much foot and leg damage. Also, with each visit to the beach there were fewer birds. Eleven months later there were only four gulls on this beach. Two were migratory. The other two were laughing gulls. One appeared okay while the other was exhibiting the same panting behavior I noted during the worst of the oil spill. Can birds get asthma? How is their respiratory system affected? Where are all the gulls of the pier beach?

At Romar Beach, the sand was white and the water appeared clean. I stood on the beach, watched and waited, and I very randomly caught a whiff of crude oil smell. It was not consistent, but it was apparent. Beautiful beach, clean water? REALLY clean sand? How can we know?

Gulf Islands National Seashore has been one of my favorite beaches to visit due to the remote location and the pristine beauty. It was affected by the spill but did not have the damage that areas further west suffered and continue to suffer. It is a long spit of sand surrounded by the Gulf on one side and inland waters on the other side. On the inland side, I saw hermit crabs and schools of small fish in the water. There was a large flock of canvasback ducks, a few buffleheads and loons either hunting for fish or feasting on submerged grass beds. Even with large tar balls washing up on the Gulf side, this place reminds me of what the beaches of the Gulf Coast should be…what they can be with diligence and good stewardship.

Residents of the Gulf Coast endure tropical storms and monstrous hurricanes, yet they persevere. People compare the BP oil spill to hurricanes but in reality, there is no comparison. The recovery curve of a hurricane is somewhat predictable. With the oil spill, the Unknown looms as constant stressors. Questions abound–What will be the side-effects of chemical poisoning due to volatile chemicals from the oil and toxic dispersant? How will this effect human life, marine life? Will there be fish and shellfish to harvest from the affected areas in three or four years? How many people will develop cancer? Will there be birth defects in babies? How will the economy in this tourist-driven area recovery? And the list goes on and on.

My visit to the Gulf Coast coincided with Mardi Gras, a time of celebration and fun. At first glance, the idea of documenting the Mardi Gras celebration may seem at odds with my work documenting the BP oil spill and recovery. But one of the things that makes this area so incredible is the people, specifically the resilience of the residents here. There are things to celebrate on the coast. With careful observation, subtle clues of the recovery can be seen….if we pay attention.

May we be diligent in our efforts to stay focused. The subtleties of recovery have much to teach us as do those of struggling ecosystems.

My process when visiting beaches? Stop. Watch. Wait. Observe. I think this could be applied to all aspects of the Gulf Coast Recovery.