Wildlife officials predict widespread impact on birds, food web

Biologists and other wildlife experts said Friday that the Gulf of Mexico oil leak was an "unprecedented" event in terms of its potential impact on animals and habitats, and warned that the absence of oil-slicked birds in large numbers doesn't mean that the impact won't be severe.

"We have seen some wildlife that have been impacted -- oiled birds, for example," said Ralph Morganweck, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service senior scientist. "But no one should believe that because we haven't recovered thousands of oiled wildlife to date that the impact may not be widespread."

http://www.latimes.com/ May 21, 2010