A study examining the long-term pulmonary health of bottlenose dolphins in Barataria Bay following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill found that dolphins in the heavily-oiled area exhibited chronic and potentially progressive respiratory injuries. Despite clean-up efforts, the spill caused substantial harm to marine life, with dolphins showing high mortality rates and health issues such as lung disease, poor body condition, and impaired stress response. The study, which included data from 2011-2018, revealed that dolphins alive during the spill have not shown improvement in pulmonary health, suggesting that the damage is likely chronic and progressive. The research highlights the importance of long-term monitoring of dolphin populations and other cetaceans exposed to oil spills to understand the full impact on marine mammal health and ecosystem recovery.