scholarly journals Prior exposure to weathered oil influences foraging of an ecologically important saltmarsh resident fish

PeerJ ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12593
Author(s):  
Ashley M. McDonald ◽  
Charles W. Martin ◽  
Guillaume Rieucau ◽  
Brian J. Roberts

Estuarine ecosystem balance typically relies on strong food web interconnectedness dependent on a relatively low number of resident taxa, presenting a potential ecological vulnerability to extreme ecosystem disturbances. Following the Deepwater Horizon (DwH) oil spill disaster of the northern Gulf of Mexico (USA), numerous ecotoxicological studies showed severe species-level impacts of oil exposure on estuarine fish and invertebrates, yet post-spill surveys found little evidence for severe impacts to coastal populations, communities, or food webs. The acknowledgement that several confounding factors may have limited researchers’ abilities to detect negative ecosystem-level impacts following the DwH spill drives the need for direct testing of weathered oil exposure effects on estuarine residents with high trophic connectivity. Here, we describe an experiment that examined the influence of previous exposure to four weathered oil concentrations (control: 0.0 L oil m−2; low: 0.1 L oil m−2; moderate: 0.5–1 L oil m−2; high: 3.0 L oil m−2) on foraging rates of the ecologically important Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis). Following exposure in oiled saltmarsh mesocosms, killifish were allowed to forage on grass shrimp (Palaeomonetes pugio) for up to 21 h. We found that previous exposure to the high oil treatment reduced killifish foraging rate by ~37% on average, compared with no oil control treatment. Previous exposure to the moderate oil treatment showed highly variable foraging rate responses, while low exposure treatment was similar to unexposed responses. Declining foraging rate responses to previous high weathered oil exposure suggests potential oil spill influence on energy transfer between saltmarsh and off-marsh systems. Additionally, foraging rate variability at the moderate level highlights the large degree of intraspecific variability for this sublethal response and indicates this concentration represents a potential threshold of oil exposure influence on killifish foraging. We also found that consumption of gravid vs non-gravid shrimp was not independent of prior oil exposure concentration, as high oil exposure treatment killifish consumed ~3× more gravid shrimp than expected. Our study findings highlight the sublethal effects of prior oil exposure on foraging abilities of ecologically valuable Gulf killifish at realistic oil exposure levels, suggesting that important trophic transfers of energy to off-marsh systems may have been impacted, at least in the short-term, by shoreline oiling at highly localized scales. This study provides support for further experimental testing of oil exposure effects on sublethal behavioral impacts of ecologically important estuarine species, due to the likelihood that some ecological ramifications of DwH on saltmarshes likely went undetected.

Author(s):  
Виктор Геннадьевич Аковецкий ◽  
Алексей Викторович Афанасьев ◽  
Анжела Асхатовна Ильченко

Оценка геоэкологических рисков на объектах нефтегазового комплекса непосредственно связана с обеспечением безопасности территорий, на которых они расположены. Особенно тяжелые последствия воздействия на экологическое состояние территорий оказывают аварийные разливы нефти и нефтепродуктов. Решение данного класса задач требует оценки уровня аварийного разлива и его классификации с позиций возникновения чрезвычайной ситуации. В статье рассмотрена возможность замены традиционных визуальных методов оценки разливов на разработанные автоматизированные и автоматические способы, использующие для решения задач классификации материалов аэрокосмических съемок. Приведены результаты автоматической классификации изображений мониторинговых наблюдений, которые имели место при аварийном разливе дизельного топлива в г. Норильске, аварии танкера на морской акватории о. Маврикий и аварии сухопутного нефтепровода. Полученные результаты показали работоспособность разработанных методов и возможность их использования в задачах инвентаризации и паспортизации аварийных разливов нефти на суше и акваториях. Purpose. The aim of this work is to ensure the environmental safety of the territories where the accidental spills of oil and oil products have occurred. They have a significant negative impact on the environment of land and water areas. To minimize their impact and eliminate the consequences, an “emergency” regime is introduced in Russia. Depending on the level of the oil spill, it may cover both the territory of a separate facility and a region, and the entire state as a whole. Methods. Traditionally, an estimate of the level of a spill is determined based on the mass of the spilled oil through visual observations from aircraft or ground measurements at selected points. This approach does not allow an accurate assessment of the total area of pollution, the nature of pollution inside the oil slick, as well as the dynamics of its spread over time. To eliminate these limitations, it is proposed to use systems of aerospace monitoring observations and automatic measurements of oil slick parameters: area, composition and mass. To solve this problem, the method of “comparison with the reference standard” was used. Here, samples of color gradations of oil and oil product spill spots proposed in the Bonn Agreement of 2004 were prepared as reference standards. Results. The method was implemented using the experimental software complex AGIR-TM (Aerospace, Geoinformatics, Research, Risks-Technological Modules) which was developed at the Department of Geoecology of the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas (NRU). During the experimental testing of this method, the work was carried out to assess the accidental spill in the following cases diesel fuel in Norilsk (2020), oil on a tanker in the water area of Mauritius (2020) and oil in an oil pipeline (2012, 2017). The method provides the localization of the area spills along with the color correction (normalization), classification of the composition of oil and oil products and the through account of the investigated processes. The work results in determination for the area of the oil and oil products spill, its composition and weight. Conclusions. The article shows the relevance of solving problems related to the problem of liquidation of emergency spills of oil and oil products at the facilities of the oil and gas complex. The main approaches to aerospace monitoring observations and automatic interpretation of spill parameters are considered. The proposed approach is based on the use of “digital twins” that implement the transition from manual (visual) to automated and automatic modes for determining the parameters of an oil spill: area, composition and mass. The results presented in the article showed the efficiency of the proposed method and the possibility of its use in the tasks of assessing geoecological risks associated with accidental spills of oil and oil products on land and in water areas.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Goldman ◽  
John A. Kaufman ◽  
J. Danielle Sharpe ◽  
Amy F. Wolkin ◽  
Matthew O. Gribble

Introduction: In April 2010, a fatal explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the largest accidental marine oil spill in history. This research describes the association of oil exposure with anxiety after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and evaluates effect modification by self-mastery, emotional support, and cleanup participation. Methods: To assess the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted the Gulf States Population Survey, a random-digit-dial telephone cross-sectional survey completed between December 2010 and December 2011 with 38,361 responses in four different Gulf Coast states­: Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. Anxiety severity was measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptom inventory. We used Tobit regression to model underlying anxiety as a function of oil exposure and hypothesized effect modifiers, adjusting for socio-demographics. Results: Latent anxiety was higher among those directly exposed to oil than among those who were not directly exposed to oil in confounder-adjusted models (β=2.84, 95% CI: 0.78, 4.91). Among individuals exposed to oil, there was no significant interaction between participating in cleanup activities and emotional support for anxiety ( P=0.16). However, among those directly exposed to oil, in confounder-adjusted models, participation in oil spill cleanup activities was associated with lower latent anxiety (β=-3.50, 95% CI: -6.10, -0.90). Conclusion: Oil contact was associated with greater anxiety, but this association appeared to be mitigated by cleanup participation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1708-1720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill A. Awkerman ◽  
Becky Hemmer ◽  
Alex Almario ◽  
Crystal Lilavois ◽  
Mace G. Barron ◽  
...  

1995 ◽  
Vol 1995 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Blenkinsopp ◽  
Gary Sergy ◽  
Zhendi Wang ◽  
Mervin F. Fingas ◽  
Julia Foght ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Thirteen commercial oil spill bioremediation agents (OSBAs) were tested over a two-year period during the development of a screening protocol designed to evaluate the hydrocarbon degradation efficacy of OSBAs under warm freshwater or cold marine water conditions. The OSBAs were added at the rate specified, to shaker flasks containing a standard test oil, nutrients if requested, and a defined medium. Standardized freshwater or marine microbial inocula were developed to act as internal controls for the screening protocol, that is, to ensure that conditions were suitable for oil biodegradation to occur in each test performed. After the incubation period, the oil was extracted and analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC/FID). The warm freshwater efficacy method exhibited good reproducibility but the cold marine test requires further refinement. The minimum acceptance standard for products tested under standard warm freshwater conditions is currently based on the product achieving GC-detectable total petroleum hydrocarbon (GCD-TPH), aliphatic, and aromatic reductions of 35, 30, and 10 percent, respectively, when compared with the weathered Alberta Sweet Mixed Blend (ASMB) source oil. These values may be adjusted with further experimental testing. Products with acceptable efficacy and toxicity results will be assumed to have good potential application in spill cleanup and will be identified as such to the spill response community.


1995 ◽  
Vol 1995 (1) ◽  
pp. 1004-1006
Author(s):  
Zhendi Wang ◽  
Mervin F. Fingas

ABSTRACT Using an oil chemical analysis method developed in our laboratory, more than 280 compounds in the Alberta Sweet Mixed Blend (ASMB) oil have been positively identified. The distribution of selected target compounds offers unique and sensitive fingerprints for matching the source of spilled oil and tracing the weathering process of oil in the environment. The pattern recognition plots involving more than 100 oil-specific individual components and component groupings permit deduction of a best set of values for oil exposure to weathering. Using data from different samples including crude oil, weathered oil, and 22-year-old spilled oil as examples, the distinct advantages of the described method over the current methods are examined.


2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (1) ◽  
pp. 569-575
Author(s):  
Ernest Brannon ◽  
Keya Collins ◽  
Lawrence Moulton ◽  
Keith R. Parker

ABSTRACT In the tenth year following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, differences of opinion still exist about injuries to pink salmon. It was alleged that exposure to oil reduced growth of fry and induced mortality in eggs. The authors reexamined the allegation that injury occurred and have concluded that insufficient consideration was given to other factors that affected results in the studies from which these allegations were drawn. The inability to track temperature differences and the unknown ages of fry precluded assessment of oil effects on growth during early marine residence. Reported higher egg mortality and long-term injury alleged to have resulted from oil exposure during incubation were confounded by the mortality of eggs that occurred as an artifact of the sampling procedure, unrelated to oil effects. The authors concluded that injury to incubating pink salmon embryos and reduced fry growth were based on an incomplete assessment of other factors that influenced these results. This evidence is supported by other research that has disclosed no oil effects on incubating eggs. Among these were studies that showed measured oil concentrations reaching the incubation substrate were 14 to 7,600 times below the lethal threshold. The seven largest runs in the history of Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska have returned in the 10 years following the spill, which ultimately demonstrated the lack of measurable effect of the oil spill on pink salmon. The authors suggest that the allegation of oil-induced injury to PWS pink salmon needs to be reconsidered in light of these analyses.


2001 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 1070-1076 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest L Brannon ◽  
Keya CM Collins ◽  
Lawrence L Moulton ◽  
Keith R Parker

The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council concluded that oil caused mortality of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) eggs in Prince William Sound streams. Their conclusion was based primarily on Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) studies which reported that mean mortality of embryos in eggs was higher in oiled than non-oiled streams when sampled shortly after spawning completion. However, developing embryos are vulnerable to shock mortality for a period of 20 days after fertilization, and the embryos in eggs from the latest spawners were still in the sensitive period at the time sampling took place. We argue that the original ADF&G analysis should have included sample timing in statistical comparisons of mortality between streams. Analysis of a subset of the ADF&G data showed that sampling shock was a major source of embryo mortality in these samples, and that source of mortality in the original survey would likely have been mistakenly interpreted as an oiling effect. Compensating for sample timing removed all statistical evidence for an oiling effect in the data subset. We conclude that the ADF&G study design confounded the ability to assess for the effect of oil exposure on pink salmon eggs.


2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 1005-1013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura G. Peteiro ◽  
José M.F. Babarro ◽  
Uxío Labarta ◽  
María José Fernández-Reiriz

Abstract Growth of mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis using raft culture was investigated for the first cultured generation following the Prestige oil spill off northwestern Spain. Seed from three natural populations along the Galician coastline, Pindo, Miranda, and Redes, was transplanted to a raft culture system in Ría de Ares-Betanzos. The physiological and biochemical status of mussels at the onset of culture and the degree of oil exposure three months after the spill (February 2003) have been described already, but here growth patterns of three populations sampled monthly from seeding to thinning-out (March/August 2003) and from thinning-out to harvest (August 2003/February 2004) were assessed. Mussels from Pindo (the area most affected by the oil spill) showed significantly less growth by weight than the other populations, resulting in a lower yield at harvest. The percentage of mussels classified as “large” in the Pindo population at harvest was also significantly less than that of the other two mussel populations.


2016 ◽  

Oil spills can be difficult to manage, with reporting frequently delayed. Too often, by the time responders arrive at the scene, the slick has moved, dissolved, dispersed or sunk. This Oil Spill Monitoring Handbook provides practical advice on what information is likely required following the accidental release of oil or other petroleum-based products into the marine environment. The book focuses on response phase monitoring for maritime spills, otherwise known as Type I or operational monitoring. Response phase monitoring tries to address the questions – what? where? when? how? how much? – that assist responders to find, track, predict and clean up spills, and to assess their efforts. Oil spills often occur in remote, sensitive and logistically difficult locations, often in adverse weather, and the oil can change character and location over time. An effective response requires robust information provided by monitoring, observation, sampling and science. The Oil Spill Monitoring Handbook completely updates the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s 2003 edition of the same name, taking into account the latest scientific advances in physical, chemical and biological monitoring, many of which have evolved as a consequence of major oil spill disasters in the last decade. It includes sections on the chemical properties of oil, the toxicological impacts of oil exposure, and the impacts of oil exposure on different marine habitats with relevance to Australia and elsewhere. An overview is provided on how monitoring integrates with the oil spill response process, the response organisation, the use of decision-support tools such as net environmental benefit analysis, and some of the most commonly used response technologies. Throughout the text, examples are given of lessons learned from previous oil spill incidents and responses, both local and international. General guidance of spill monitoring approaches and technologies is augmented with in-depth discussion on both response phase and post-response phase monitoring design and delivery. Finally, a set of appendices delivers detailed standard operating procedures for practical observation, sample and data collection. The Oil Spill Monitoring Handbook is essential reading for scientists within the oil industry and environmental and government agencies; individuals with responder roles in industry and government; environmental and ecological monitoring agencies and consultants; and members of the maritime sector in Australia and abroad, including officers in ports, shipping and terminals.


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