Dolphins and sharks are showing up in surprisingly shallow water just off the Florida coast. Mullets, crabs,
rays and small fish gather by the thousands off an Alabama pier. Birds covered in oil are crawling deep into
marshes (沼泽), never to be seen again.
     Marine scientists studying the effects of the BP disaster (英国石油公司漏油事件) are seeing some strange
phenomena. Fish and other wildlife seem to be fleeing the oil out in the Gulf and clustering in cleaner waters
along the coast in a trend that some researchers see as a potentially troubling sign. The animals' presence close
to shore means their usual habitat is badly polluted, and the crowding could result in mass die-offs as fish run
out of oxygen. Also, the animals could easily be captured by their enemies.
     The nearly two-month-old spill (漏油) has created an environmental disaster in US history as tens of millions
of gallons have flown into the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. Scientists are seeing some unusual things as they try
to understand the effects on thousands of species of marine life.
     For nearly four hours Monday, a three-person crew with Greenpeace cruised past delicate islands and
mangrove-dotted inlets in Barataria Bay off southern Louisiana. They saw dolphins by the dozen frolicking (嬉
戏) in the oily sheen (光泽) and oil-tinged pelicans feeding their young. But they spotted no dead animals.
     "I think part of the reason why we're not seeing more yet is that the impacts of this crisis are really just
beginning," Greenpeace marine biologist John Hocevar said.
     The counting of dead wildlife in the Gulf is more than an academic exercise; the deaths will help determine
how much BP pays in damages.