(03-05-10)At least 40 sea turtles have been found dead in the last hours along the Mississippi beaches according to Moby Solangy, director of the Institute for the Study of Marine Mammals. He admits it is "too early" to link the incident with the oil slick, but he does not rule out it is the first sign of ecological disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Some turtles do not have traces of oil, but may have eaten contaminated fish or breathing the fuel in the area”, Solangi said. “The fish that come in contact with oil will be the first to suffer damage in the digestive system, and the problem will grow throughout the food chain.”

Dead marine turtles began to emerge from Saturday on the beaches of Harrison and Hancock counties, in Mississippi State. Local authorities say it is not uncommon to find dead reptiles on the beaches during the spawning season and they insisted that so far there is no evidence that shows the relationship with the oil spill.

To date, the only visible damage to the fauna of the Mississippi Delta has been two dozen water birds, "redeemed" in the center at Fort Jackson. Local environmental organizations from Audubon to Gulf Restoration Network, have mobilized dozens of volunteers to protect and rescue the threatened fauna.

The oil slick threatens more than 400 species dependent on the fragile ecosystem of the Mississippi Delta, which was severely punished five years ago by Hurricane Katrina.

The oil slick has so far caused little damage in the vast marshes south of New Orleans, which are spread over 12,000 square kilometres, but experts warn that the effects can be devastating from this week.

The images of the first gannets at the recovery of birds centre, in Fort Jackson, is just the beginning. It is estimated that up to 25 million birds a day can pass by the migratory "corridor" of the Gulf of Mexico in this time of year (500 million throughout the spring, according to a study by Louisiana State University).

Species such as the brown pelican, the red heron or the mottled duck are seriously threatened by the impact of the oil spill, which could damage 20 wildlife reserves. In a small spill that reached seven years ago to Breton Island came to die 800 brown pelicans, the quintessential bird of Louisiana.

“Breeding season begins precisely at this time, and many couples are incubating eggs," says Melanie Driscoll, from Louisiana Coastal Initiative. “To birds, the disaster cannot have happened at a worse time; many of them are now nesting in the area where the oil can accumulate when reaching the shore. We have to be prepared for the worst; we face an authentic catastrophe on the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.”

“More than 5,000 dolphins are now in the area of the Gulf of Mexico, on the verge to give birth to their young” warns Moby Solangi, director of the Marine Mammals Study in Gulfport.

The oil slick could decimate the bluefin tuna shoals and affect populations of sperm whales and several species of sea turtles that nest on the beaches of the Gulf at this time. The Gulf of Mexico is also the main "supplier" of shrimps, oysters and blue crabs in the U.S. A.