ABSTRACT
The purpose of this case study is to simulate exposure of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) to chemicals in oil released into the marine environment from oil spills. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is a reminder of the risks to wildlife, particularly marine mammals, of offshore oil drilling and releases from oil tankers. Three of the largest spills have been from leaking oil platforms. In addition to the Deepwater Horizon spill in summer 2010, with an estimated 4.3 million barrels of oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico, there was the Ixtoc I spill off the Mexican gulf coast in 1979-80, with 3.5 million barrels, and the Nowruz Field Platform spill in the Persian Gulf in 1983 with 1.9 million barrels leaked. Since 1967 there have been at least 35 major spills from tanker ships (Table 12.1).
