Whale sharks target of study

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss.- Renowned oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle teamed with Dr. Eric Hoffmayer of the Gulf Coast Research Lab to study the impact of the Deepwater Horizon spill on Gulf of Mexico whale sharks. They spent three days in the Gulf of Mexico and found more than 100 whale sharks 90 miles south of Grand Isle, La., some 60 miles west of the oil spill. They tagged four of the sharks. Whale sharks suck in marine organisms at the surface of the water for food, and may be ingesting oil with their food. Earle is an explorer-in-residence at National Geographic. Earle's "Mission Blue" is a quest to protect hot spots in the world’s oceans. (Source: WLOX-TV, 07/01/10)