To achieve this aim of conducting a long-term analysis , Ocean Alliance monitored the top apex predator of the region , the Sperm whales . A resident , non-migratory population of Sperm whales resides in the Northern Gulf of Mexico in close proximity to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill . As apex predators , Sperm whales act as bio indicators of the health of the marine ecosystem in a toxicological context , demonstrating the effects of three key processes : bioaccumulation , biomagnification and the generation effect . Sadly these processes also make Sperm whales , and other apex predators , at greater risk from toxic pollution . Significantly , the data which was collected could be placed into the global data-set acquired during The Voyage of the Odyssey program
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Ocean Alliance