In the GIF, you can see the delta lobe slowly build up to its iconic shape we know now. Near the iconic mouth of the Mississippi River, many oil platforms are located. In the accompanying map, you can observe just how many there are. More oil platforms can also lead to more frequent oil spills in the area. According to data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there were 137 oil spills in 2018, about 11 per month. These oil spills, even the small ones, can cause massive harm to the natural wetlands in the area. While the damages depend on what type of oil is spilled, generally the oil can coat the vegetation and intoxicate the roots, which causes the vegetation to die. The intoxication of vegetation can also damage fishery species and mammals like dolphins. Research shows that dolphin species that presumably were exposed to the DPW incident, had a higher mortality rate and worse disease conditions than before. Dolphins born after the oil spill were in better health.