When Vegetable Oil Coats Local Birds, One NOAA Staffer Swaps Computer Software for Rubber Gloves and Soapy Water | NOAA's Response and Restoration Blog

While I work for a part of NOAA that responds to oil and chemical spills, I’m normally behind the scenes. My job is to check if the computer software programs run properly so that they can do things like predict the impacts of pollution on aquatic species. But a recent and unusual vegetable oil spill in my own backyard brought me to the front lines for the first time.

While food-based oils don’t tend to be as toxic as petroleum-based oils, they can still harm wildlife in a number of ways, such as coating feathers or fur and destroying the insulating properties that keep animals warm in aquatic environments.

When Vegetable Oil Coats Local Birds, One NOAA Staffer Swaps Computer Software for Rubber Gloves and Soapy Water | NOAA's Response and Restoration Blog