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Morning News

Oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau Discusses Galapagos Oil Spill

Aired January 23, 2001 - 10:19 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Ecuador's president is asking for more help in cleaning up a massive oil spill near the Galapagos Islands. A tanker ran aground in the area last week. And the oil and diesel fuel there is threatening some of the world's rarest birds and sea animals.

The Galapagos Islands served as a natural laboratory for Charles Darwin in his work on the theory of evolution.

Joining us now to talk about the oil spill and the environmental threat is oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau. You recognize that name, no doubt. He's the son of the late explorer Jacques Cousteau, and one of the few people recognized as environmental hero by former President Clinton.

Thank you much for coming in this morning. Good to see you again.

Can you give our viewers this morning an idea of the danger that this spill is threatening now?

JEAN-MICHEL COUSTEAU, OCEANOGRAPHER: Good morning, Leon.

The threat is potentially a major one.

The good news on one hand is that we're dealing with diesel fuel, which is a lot more volatile than crude oil, and evaporates to some extent. And on the other hand, it's hard to capture because it runs on the ocean very fast.

The problem, of course, is that there are a lot of currents and wave actions and winds, which threatening several of the islands to be reached.

And if for the moment -- and this is news from this morning, directly from the Galapagos. There are only a few dozen animals that have been affected. Hopefully, they will be taken care of.

There's a great deal of prevention to take place at the same time. The Galapagos, 600 miles away from the mainland, is so isolated that to get support and help is very difficult. Of course, the islands were not prepared for such an accident.

The United States Coast Guard and NOAA are very active in helping, bringing equipment to capture as much of the oil as possible.

There is an international consensus that we need to provide the Galapagos as much of the help as we can.

Marine iguanas, sea lions, all kinds of sea birds, and ultimately, as some of that oil reaches the ocean floor, the algae, and lobsters and marine life can be affected to a point where it can reach a level of disaster.

HARRIS: Did you bring up the algae? And that was something I talked about yesterday with a Coast Guard representative, because from what I have been reading, the danger with this diesel fuel is that if some of the disburses that are used to clean up spills like this, it attaches to the oil and drops to the bottom of the ocean. And that would kill off the algae. And that, then, would mess up the food cycle there. Correct?

COUSTEAU: That is absolutely correct.

And you know, the unique species of the marine iguana, which you can only find in the Galapagos, is very much dependent on a particular algae for their food source, which is not in very deep water. It can be affected by the oil spill. So that would be another form of disaster.

And you know, what infuriates us is the fact that that little tanker had never been in the Galapagos on a regular basis, because of the one that normally does, the supply was in repair. They were ill- equipped. Apparently, didn't have the right charts (ph). And they ran aground in rocks, which are very well-known.

There are really no excuses. One more time, human error. And it appears that the tanker belonged to the minister of the army of defense, which he's even more shocking, if you like.

So the point today is that we need to put all the resources possible in order to save as many of these creatures as possible, by removing as much of the oil as we can.

HARRIS: Well, that's what I want to ask you. I want to finish up with one more comment, from you, on that particular note.

Knowing what you know about the fragile nature of that ecosystem there and this oil, or this diesel fuel that's down there, are you optimistic that this can be cleaned up without a massive disaster here, then the eradication of, perhaps, an entire species that will not be seen any place else?

COUSTEAU: Yes, I'm optimistic in a sense that, thank god, the size of the spill is not a monumental one, because it was a small vessel and the containment procedure is under way.

Some of the oil is being removed still, as we speak, barrel by barrel, by volunteers, by the fishing fleet. Everybody is at work out there.

And I think even if there's a lot of damage taking place, it will not be enough to wipe out the -- one entire population of any of the species.

HARRIS: Well, we'll leave it on that hopeful note. Jean-Michel Cousteau, thank you very much for your time this morning...

COUSTEAU: You're very welcome.

HARRIS: ... and for your insight into that fantastic report you gave us...

COUSTEAU: Thank you, Leon.

HARRIS: ... and good luck with everything. Good luck to you.

COUSTEAU: Thank you very much.

HARRIS: Take care.

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