Central Role of Dynamic Tidal Biofilms Dominated by Aerobic Hydrocarbonoclastic Bacteria and Diatoms in the Biodegradation of Hydrocarbons in Coastal Mudflats

ABSTRACTMudflats and salt marshes are habitats at the interface of aquatic and terrestrial systems that provide valuable services to ecosystems. Therefore, it is important to determine how catastrophic incidents, such as oil spills, influence the microbial communities in sediment that are pivotal to the function of the ecosystem and to identify the oil-degrading microbes that mitigate damage to the ecosystem. In this study, an oil spill was simulated by use of a tidal chamber containing intact diatom-dominated sediment cores from a temperate mudflat. Changes in the composition of bacteria and diatoms from both the sediment and tidal biofilms that had detached from the sediment surface were monitored as a function of hydrocarbon removal. The hydrocarbon concentration in the upper 1.5 cm of sediments decreased by 78% over 21 days, with at least 60% being attributed to biodegradation. Most phylotypes were minimally perturbed by the addition of oil, but at day 21, there was a 10-fold increase in the amount of cyanobacteria in the oiled sediment. Throughout the experiment, phylotypes associated with the aerobic degradation of hydrocarbons, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (Cycloclasticus) and alkanes (Alcanivorax,Oleibacter, andOceanospirillalesstrain ME113), substantively increased in oiled mesocosms, collectively representing 2% of the pyrosequences in the oiled sediments at day 21. Tidal biofilms from oiled cores at day 22, however, consisted mostly of phylotypes related toAlcanivorax borkumensis(49% of clones),Oceanospirillalesstrain ME113 (11% of clones), and diatoms (14% of clones). Thus, aerobic hydrocarbon biodegradation is most likely to be the main mechanism of attenuation of crude oil in the early weeks of an oil spill, with tidal biofilms representing zones of high hydrocarbon-degrading activity.

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Environmental DNA preserved in marine sediment for detecting jellyfish blooms after a tsunami

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-94286-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mizuki Ogata ◽

Reiji Masuda ◽

Hiroya Harino ◽

Masayuki K. Sakata ◽

Makoto Hatakeyama ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Marine Sediment ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Sediment Cores ◽

Environmental Dna ◽

Target Species ◽

Tank Experiment ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic ◽

Flow Through ◽

High Concentrations ◽

One Year

AbstractEnvironmental DNA (eDNA) can be a powerful tool for detecting the distribution and abundance of target species. This study aimed to test the longevity of eDNA in marine sediment through a tank experiment and to use this information to reconstruct past faunal occurrence. In the tank experiment, juvenile jack mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) were kept in flow-through tanks with marine sediment for two weeks. Water and sediment samples from the tanks were collected after the removal of fish. In the field trial, sediment cores were collected in Moune Bay, northeast Japan, where unusual blooms of jellyfish (Aurelia sp.) occurred after a tsunami. The samples were analyzed by layers to detect the eDNA of jellyfish. The tank experiment revealed that after fish were removed, eDNA was not present in the water the next day, or subsequently, whereas eDNA was detectable in the sediment for 12 months. In the sediment core samples, jellyfish eDNA was detected at high concentrations above the layer with the highest content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, reflecting tsunami-induced oil spills. Thus, marine sediment eDNA preserves a record of target species for at least one year and can be used to reconstruct past faunal occurrence.

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Oil spill remote monitoring by using remotely piloted aircraft

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology ◽

10.1108/aeat-12-2017-0273 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 91 (4) ◽

pp. 648-653

Author(s):

Aleksandrs Urbahs ◽

Vladislavs Zavtkevics

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Multispectral Imaging ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Oil Pollution ◽

Thickness Measurement ◽

Quality Data ◽

Atmospheric Conditions ◽

Content Type ◽

Remotely Piloted Aircraft

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the application of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) for remote oil spill sensing. Design/methodology/approach This paper is an analysis of RPA strong points. Findings To increase the accuracy and eliminate potentially false contamination detection, which can be caused by external factors, an oil thickness measurement algorithm is used with the help of the multispectral imaging that provides high accuracy and is versatile for any areas of water and various meteorological and atmospheric conditions. Research limitations/implications SWOT analysis of implementation of RPA for remote sensing of oil spills. Practical implications The use of RPA will improve the remote sensing of oil spills. Social implications The concept of oil spills monitoring needs to be developed for quality data collection, oil pollution control and emergency response. Originality/value The research covers the development of a method and design of a device intended for taking samples and determining the presence of oil contamination in an aquatorium area; the procedure includes taking a sample from the water surface, preparing it for transportation and delivering the sample to a designated location by using the RPA. The objective is to carry out the analysis of remote oil spill sensing using RPA. The RPA provides a reliable sensing of oil pollution with significant advantages over other existing methods. The objective is to analyze the use of RPA employing all of their strong points. In this paper, technical aspects of sensors are analyzed, as well as their advantages and limitations.

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Spatio-temporal overlap of oil spills and early life stages of fish

ICES Journal of Marine Science ◽

10.1093/icesjms/fst131 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 71 (4) ◽

pp. 970-981 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Frode B. Vikebø ◽

Petter Rønningen ◽

Vidar S. Lien ◽

Sonnich Meier ◽

Mark Reed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Gadus Morhua ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Individual Offspring ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic ◽

Spatio Temporal ◽

The Individual ◽

The Vertical Distribution ◽

Eggs And Larvae ◽

Vertical Positioning

Abstract Coupling an oil drift and fates model (Oscar) in an offline environment with an individual-based model (IBM) for Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua) eggs and larvae enables us to quantify the exposure of eggs and larvae to oil from various oil spill scenarios. Oscar describes the spatio-temporal dispersal and fate of hydrocarbons, whereas the egg and larval IBM integrates the exposure of each individual. We can thus evaluate the effects of the time and location of an oil spill on the degree of exposure for individuals from different spawning grounds (SGs). In addition, we quantify how this effect is modified by the dynamic vertical positioning of eggs and the vertical behaviour of larvae. The principal findings of the study indicate that the mean egg and larval exposures for individuals from different SGs are highly dependent on the time and location of the spill and the vertical distribution of the offspring. Approximately 9.9, 4.7, 3.5, and 0.4% of the offspring would experience total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (TPAH) concentrations above 1 µg l−1 (parts per billion, ppb) for oil spill scenarios situated at Haltenbanken, Lofoten, and Vesterålen near the coast and near the shelf edge, respectively, based on the maximum TPAH concentrations in the water column along the individual offspring trajectories.

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIOREMEDIATION FOR OIL SPILL CLEANUP IN COASTAL WETLANDS: PRODUCT IMPACTS AND BIOREMEDIATION POTENTIAL

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-1995-1-97 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 1995 (1) ◽

pp. 97-100 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Irving A. Mendelssohn ◽

Qianxin Lin ◽

Karolien Debusschere ◽

S. Penland ◽

Charles B. Henry ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Salt Marshes ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Field Trials ◽

Plant Response ◽

Experimental Program ◽

Plant Responses ◽

Marsh Soil ◽

Oil Biodegradation ◽

Oil Spill Cleanup

ABSTRACT Although bioremediation for oil spill cleanup has received considerable attention in recent years, its satisfactory use in the cleanup of oil spills in the wetland environment is still questionable and generally untested. We have initiated a multidisciplinary experimental program to evaluate the use of both microbial seeding and fertilizer as means of enhancing oil biodegradation in coastal salt marshes. We are utilizing controlled greenhouse experiments as well as field trials to test the efficacy and ecological safety of these enhanced biodegradation methodologies. This paper summarizes the overall scope of the study and presents some preliminary findings concerning marsh plant response to the bioremediation agents. We shall report on the results of the first year of this three-year investigation. Sods of marsh (soil and vegetation intact), approximately 30 cm in diameter and 25 cm deep, collected from the inland zone of a Spartina alterniflora dominated salt marsh in south Louisiana were used in a greenhouse experiment to identify the effects on plant and soil responses of the following treatments, with and without oil: seeding product, fertilizer product, and control (no product). Mesocosms were sampled for petroleum hydrocarbon chemistry to identify and quantify the degree of oil biodegradation, soil microbial response to determine the effect of the bioremediation products on the microbial communities that are performing the oil biodegradation, soil chemistry to determine the effect of the bioremediation products (such as nutrients, soil reducing conditions, and soil toxins) on those factors that limit the growth of microbes and plants, and plant response to evaluate the effects of the oil and products on plant vigor and growth. This paper presents selected plant responses that demonstrated that the bioremediation products tested had no adverse impact on plant growth. Additionally, soil respiration was increased by fertilizer, but not microbial, application.

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Improving Seafood Safety Management after an Oil Spill

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2003-1-1303 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 2003 (1) ◽

pp. 1303-1310 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ruth A. Yender

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Safety Management ◽

Significant Risk ◽

The United States ◽

Recent Experience ◽

Seafood Safety ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic ◽

State And Local

ABSTRACT Recent experience indicates that promptly providing state and local seafood safety managers with key information and assistance during an oil spill response can help prevent unnecessary restrictions on seafood harvest. Efforts by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of Response and Restoration (ORR) to help facilitate and expedite the decision-making process of seafood safety managers after an oil spill include two recently published guidebooks on seafood testing and risk assessment. Of particular interest is a comparison of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) criteria established for seafood at past United States oil spills. Depending on assumptions made in the health risk calculations, criteria for shellfish ranged from 5 to 120 parts per billion (ppb) benzo[a]pyrene equivalents. Nearly all seafood samples analyzed at these spills passed established criteria, indicating oil spills in the United States have not posed significant risk to human health through consumption of PAH-contaminated seafood. Seafood marketability has more often been impacted, due to petroleum taint (off-odor or off-flavor). Evaluation of seafood marketability can be facilitated through employment of standardized sensory testing protocols for detecting petroleum taint, such as those recently published by NOAA.

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SCIENTIFIC CRITERIA TO OPTIMIZE OIL SPILL CLEANUP

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-1995-1-595 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 1995 (1) ◽

pp. 595-610 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

David Sell ◽

Lucy Conway ◽

Tracy Clark ◽

Gordon B. Picken ◽

Jenifer M. Baker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Time Scales ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Salt Marshes ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Rocky Shores ◽

Industrial Services ◽

Expected Time ◽

Natural Time ◽

Oil Spill Cleanup ◽

Ecological Recovery

ABSTRACT Aberdeen University Research and Industrial Services (AURIS) undertook a joint industry pilot investigation on “Scientific Criteria for Optimizing Oil Spill Cleanup Operations and Effort” from October 1993 to March 1994. This project examined the worldwide scientific literature on the effects of oil spills, and experimental and natural clearances, on both rocky shores and salt marshes, to ascertain whether defensible scientific criteria could be used to establish the appropriate end point for oil spill cleanup operations. After exhaustive screening of the literature, the investigation found that ecological recovery of shore biota usually follows natural time scales of up to three years for rocky shores and five years for salt marshes, regardless of cleanup. Cleanup has a negative or marginal influence on these time scales, so there is little scientific justification for shore treatment. It may be justified, however, by socioeconomic factors relating to recreation, tourism, fisheries, aquaculture, visual amenity, or birds and mammals. In exceptional cases, where oil has formed heavy smothering deposits or toxic subsurface deposits, there are grounds for treatment to promote ecological recovery of the shore biota within the expected time scales.

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Metagenomics and quantitative stable isotope probing offer insights into metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons degraders in chronically polluted seawater

10.1101/2020.10.16.343509 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ella T. Sieradzki ◽

Michael Morando ◽

Jed A. Fuhrman

Keyword(s):

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽

Microbial Community ◽

Los Angeles ◽

Stable Isotope ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Stable Isotope Probing ◽

Port Of Los Angeles ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic

AbstractBacterial biodegradation is a significant contributor to remineralization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): toxic and recalcitrant components of crude oil as well as byproducts of partial combustion chronically introduced into seawater via atmospheric deposition. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill demonstrated the speed at which a seed PAH-degrading community maintained by low chronic inputs can respond to acute pollution. We investigated the diversity and functional potential of a similar seed community in the Port of Los Angeles, a chronically polluted site, using stable isotope probing with naphthalene, deep-sequenced metagenomes and carbon incorporation rate measurements at the port and in two sites further into the San Pedro Channel. We demonstrate the ability of a local seed community of degraders at the Port of LA to incorporate carbon from naphthalene, leading to a quick shift in the microbial community composition to be dominated by these normally rare taxa. We were able to directly show that assembled genomes belonged to naphthalene degraders by matching their 16S-rRNA gene with experimental stable isotope probing data. Surprisingly, we did not find a full PAH degradation pathway in those genomes and even when combining genes from the entire microbial community. We analyze metabolic pathways identified in 29 genomes whose abundance increased in the presence of naphthalene to generate metagenomic-based recommendations for future optimization of PAHs bioremediation.ImportanceOil spills in the marine environment have a devastating effect on marine life and biogeochemical cycles. Oil-degrading bacteria occur naturally in the ocean, especially where they are supported by chronic inputs of oil, and have a significant role in degradation of oil spills. The most recalcitrant and toxic component of oil is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Therefore, the bacteria who can break those molecules down are of particular importance. We identified such bacteria at the port of Los Angeles, one of the busiest ports worldwide, and characterized their metabolic capabilities. Based on those analyses we proposed chemical targets to stimulate the activity of these bacteria in case of an oil spill in the port of LA.

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Evaluation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution From the HMS Royal Oak Shipwreck and Effects on Sediment Microbial Community Structure

Frontiers in Marine Science ◽

10.3389/fmars.2021.650139 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Gareth E. Thomas ◽

Stefan G. Bolam ◽

Jan L. Brant ◽

Rodney Brash ◽

Freya Goodsir ◽

...

Keyword(s):

World War Ii ◽

Community Structure ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Potential Effect ◽

Fuel Oil ◽

Hydrocarbonoclastic Bacteria ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic ◽

Long Term Impact

Despite many shipwrecks containing oil there is a paucity of studies investigating their impact on surrounding environments. This study evaluates any potential effect the World War II shipwreck HMS Royal Oak is having on surrounding benthic sediments in Scapa Flow, Scotland. HMS (Her Majesty’s Ship) Royal Oak sank in 1939, subsequently leaked oil in the 1960s and 1990s, and is estimated to still hold 697 tonnes of fuel oil. In this study, sediments were analysed, over a 17.5 cm depth profile, along a 50–950 m cruciform transect away from the shipwreck. Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) revealed low concentrations (205.91 ± 50.15 μg kg–1 of dry sediment), which did not significantly differ with either distance from the shipwreck or sediment depth. PAH concentrations were well below the effects-range low (ERL) for the OSPAR (Oslo/Paris convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic) maritime area. The average Pyrogenic Index, in sediments around HMS Royal Oak, was 1.06 (±0.34), indicating PAHs were pyrogenic rather than petrogenic. Moreover, analysis of sediment microbiomes revealed no significant differences in bacterial community structure with distance from the shipwreck, with extremely low levels of obligate hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria (OHCB; 0.21% ± 0.54%). Both lines of evidence suggest that sampled sediments are not currently being impacted by petrogenic hydrocarbons and show no long-term impact by previous oil-spills from HMS Royal Oak.

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Niche Partitioning between Coastal and Offshore Shelf Waters Results in Differential Expression of Alkane and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Catabolic Pathways

mSystems ◽

10.1128/msystems.00668-20 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Shawn M. Doyle ◽

Genmei Lin ◽

Maya Morales-McDevitt ◽

Terry L. Wade ◽

Antonietta Quigg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Communities ◽

Differential Expression ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Surface Waters ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Niche Partitioning ◽

Marine Environments ◽

Microbial Response ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic ◽

Marine Oil Spills

ABSTRACT Marine oil spills can impact both coastal and offshore marine environments, but little information is available on how the microbial response to oil and dispersants might differ between these biomes. Here, we describe the compositional and functional response of microbial communities to different concentrations of oil and chemically dispersed oil in coastal and offshore surface waters from the Texas-Louisiana continental shelf. Using a combination of analytical chemistry and 16S rRNA amplicon and metatranscriptomic sequencing, we provide a broad, comparative overview of the ecological response of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and their expression of hydrocarbon-degrading genes in marine surface waters over time between two oceanic biomes. We found evidence for the existence of different ecotypes of several commonly described hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial taxa which behaved differentially in coastal and offshore shelf waters despite being exposed to similar concentrations of oil, dispersants, and nutrients. This resulted in the differential expression of catabolic pathways for n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)—the two major categories of compounds found in crude oil—with preferential expression of n-alkane degradation genes in coastal waters while offshore microbial communities trended more toward the expression of PAH degradation genes. This was unexpected as it contrasts with the generally held view that n-alkanes, being more labile, are attacked before the more refractory PAHs. Collectively, our results provide new insights into the existence and potential consequences of niche partitioning of hydrocarbon-degrading taxa between neighboring marine environments. IMPORTANCE In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the taxonomic response of marine microbial communities to oil and dispersants has been extensively studied. However, relatively few studies on the functional response of these microbial communities have been reported, especially in a longitudinal fashion. Moreover, despite the fact that marine oil spills typically impact thousands of square kilometers of both coastal and offshore marine environments, little information is available on how the microbial response to oil and dispersants might differ between these biomes. The results of this study help fill this critical knowledge gap and provide valuable insight into how oil spill response efforts, such as chemically dispersing oil, may have differing effects in neighboring coastal and offshore marine environments.

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Oil Spill Source Identification Using Colorimetric Detection

Australian Journal of Chemistry ◽

10.1071/ch19336 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 72 (11) ◽

pp. 874 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Walmiria Woodland ◽

Richard Lim ◽

Cherie Motti ◽

Paul Irving ◽

Jun Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽

Oil Spills ◽

New Technology ◽

Colorimetric Detection ◽

Excitation Wavelength ◽

Photochromic Compounds ◽

Limited Variation ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic

The colorimetric detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated for the quick and easy identification of likely oil spill offenders. In this new technology, photochromic compounds were used to sense PAHs by varying their photoswitching capacity. To that end, three photochromes were designed and showed varying degrees of photoswitching inhibition, depending on PAH analyte, photochrome, and excitation wavelength. PAH mixtures that mimic oil spills showed the same varying response and demonstrated the accuracy of this technology. To prove the applicability of this technology, an array was assembled, using the three photochromes at three excitation wavelengths, and tested against authentic crude oil samples. Not only could these samples be differentiated, but also weathering of two distinctly different oil samples showed limited variation in response, demonstrating that this may be a viable technique for in situ oil identification.

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