Another Ripple - Illustration Friday teams up with Ripple!

"It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped.  Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope." ~Robert Kennedy

Sea Turtle - Indirect Effects

In addition to the direct harm caused by exposure to oil, sea turtles may suffer indirect impacts for weeks or months afterwards.  Sea turtles may ingest small amounts of oil from the water or their food that, over time, may accumulate in their bodies and harm or kill them.  They may also suffer from lack of food if a spill is large enough that it kills off seagrass beds, shellfish and other food sources.  Low levels of oil exposure that don't cause obvious harm could also have subtle but damaging effects, like impairing the turtles' sense of smell, hampering their immunity or reducing their levels of gut-dwelling, digestion-aiding bacteria.  (Defenders of Wildlife)

Please send forth a Ripple, and do what you can.