provided in a report, "The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: A Management 

 Analysis," prepared for the Center for Marine Conservation. 1 



As noted above, the Exxon Valdez ran aground in the early 

 hours of March 24. The Marine Mammal Commission learned about 

 the oil spill later that day. During the next 24 hours, the 

 Commission consulted with representatives of the involved State 

 of Alaska and Federal agencies and others with knowledge of the 

 situation to determine what was being and should be done to 

 assess and mitigate the impacts of the spill on sea otters and 

 other marine mammals. 



Within 24 hours of the spill, marine mammal specialists from 

 the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game were on site 

 to assess and determine how best to minimize the effects of the 

 spill on marine mammals. Also, on 25 March, a specialist from 

 Hubbs Marine Research Institute, San Diego, California, under 

 contract to Exxon, arrived in Valdez to set up a sea otter 

 rehabilitation facility, and rescue of oiled sea otters began on 

 29 March. Additional rehabilitation facilities were later 

 established in Seward and Homer. 



The Commission, in consultation with its Committee of 

 Scientific Advisors, reviewed the situation in Prince William 

 Sound, and, by correspondence dated 4 April and 6 April 1989 

 advised the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine 

 Fisheries Service, respectively, as to how marine mammals might 

 be affected and what steps should be undertaken to effectively 

 assess and mitigate these effects. In its correspondence, the 

 Commission noted that some effects of the oil spill and related 

 operations could be immediate and obvious while others may be 

 less apparent and could occur over long periods of time. For all 

 species, immediate effects may include mortality or morbidity due 

 to: 



contact with oil and/or chemical dispersants (most 

 likely to affect sea otters and fur seals that 

 depend on fur for insulation from cold water) ; 



inhalation of fumes as volatile components of the 

 oil evaporate (could cause respiratory distress in 

 all species) ; 



direct ingestion of oil and dispersants or 

 ingestion of oil-or dispersant-contaminated prey 



"The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: A Management Analysis," 

 September 1989, by Richard Townsend and Burr Heneman. Available 

 from the Center for Marine Conservation, 1725 DeSales Street, 

 N.W. , Washington, D.C. 20036. 



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