ASSESS INTERTIDAL IMPACTS: LESSONS LEARNED FROM 11 YEARS OF MONITORING IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND1

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 931-936
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Coats ◽  
Gary Shigenaka
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Equivalent Number ◽  
Initial Sampling ◽  
Using Data

ABSTRACT “How many samples do we need?” and “Where should we collect them?” are questions common to most field monitoring programs. They are especially compelling when an oil spill impinges on a coastline and an intertidal monitoring program must be rapidly implemented to assess impacts. Moreover, these initial sampling decisions profoundly affect the ultimate validity of the assessment study. While it is important to avoid squandering limited resources by oversampling, an undersized study is equally wasteful if it cannot reliably discern significant impacts and produce useful results. All else being equal, the power to detect change in an ecosystem is dictated by its inherent variability. Variability estimates were computed for a variety of intertidal assemblages using data collected within Prince William Sound over eleven years, following the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The sample-size recommendations that emerge from these power analyses demonstrate that spill and cleanup impacts to most intertidal taxa can be reliably detected using four to six replicate samples collected at three or more treatment sites, and at an equivalent number of reference sites. They also demonstrate that collecting more than eight replicate samples within each site does little to increase the power to detect differences in mean populations. Analogously, “parallelism” tests on multi-year data provide a reliable means of quantifying long-term recovery in intertidal populations following an oil spill. Parallelism tests examine temporal trends in mean abundance at impacted sites relative to reference sites. However, the ability to detect major recolonization events with parallelism tests varies widely depending on the taxa being tested. For example, the marked recolonization in Fucus and epifaunal invertebrates that was experienced four years after the Exxon Valdez spill could have been detected by sampling at only two reference and two impact sites. In contrast, infaunal populations exhibit greater variability, making detection of nonparallel trends difficult without sampling at least six reference and six impacted sites.

scholarly journals Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacts on Alabama beaches

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 3639-3649 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Hayworth ◽  
T. P. Clement ◽  
J. F. Valentine
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Sandy Beaches ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Ecological State ◽  
Current State ◽  
Physical Chemical ◽  
Long Term Consequences

Abstract. From mid June 2010 to early August 2010, the white sandy beaches along Alabama's Gulf coast were inundated with crude oil discharged from the Deepwater Horizon well. The long-term consequences of this environmental catastrophe are still unfolding. Although BP has attempted to clean up some of these beaches, there still exist many unanswered questions regarding the physical, chemical, and ecological state of the oil contaminated beach system. In this paper, we present our understanding of what is known and known to be unknown with regard to the current state of Alabama's beaches in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Motivated by our observations of the evolving distribution of oil in Alabama's beaches and BP's clean-up activities, we offer our thoughts on the lessons learned from this oil spill disaster.

Long-Term Ecosystem Response to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Science ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 302 (5653) ◽  
pp. 2082-2086 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. H. Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Ecosystem Response ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT IN COASTAL HABITATS: LESSONS LEARNED FROM EXXON VALDEZ

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 (1) ◽  
pp. 695-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Dean ◽  
Lyman McDonald ◽  
Michael S. Stekoll ◽  
Richard R. Rosenthal
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Design ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Damage Assessment ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Before And After ◽  
And Control ◽  
Alternative Designs ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT This paper examines alternative designs for the monitoring and assessment of damages of environmental impacts such as oil spills. The optimal design requires sampling at pairs of impacted (oiled) and control (unoiled) sites both before and after the event. However, this design proved impractical in evaluating impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on nearshore subtidal communities, and may be impractical for future monitoring. An alternative design is discussed in which sampling is conducted at pairs of control and impact sites only after the impact.

A 10-Year Study of Shoreline Conditions in the Exxon Valdez Spill Zone, Prince William Sound, Alaska

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (1) ◽  
pp. 559-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward S. Gilfillan ◽  
David S. Page ◽  
Keith R. Parker ◽  
Jerry M. Neff ◽  
Paul D. Boehm
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Intertidal Community ◽  
Infaunal Community ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Natural Factors

ABSTRACT A shoreline ecology program was performed in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska in 1990 and 1991 (1 and 2 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, EVOS) to assess the fate and effects of the oil in the intertidal zone. Major components of the study were repeated in 1998 and 1999. This update included a sediment-sampling program at formerly oiled “worst-case” boulder/cobble (B/C) sites and randomly chosen unoiled B/C reference sites. The samples were analyzed for petroleum hydrocarbons and benthic infaunal community characteristics. This paper focuses on the results of the benthic infaunal community analysis. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the 1990–1999 infaunal species composition data. Very little effect of oiling was detected in either the analysis of community structure parameters or in individual species abundances. Oiling effects were detected at some sites in 1990 and 1991, but not in 1998 and 1999. Nearly all the change in intertidal community parameters between 1990 and 1999 was attributed to natural interannual variation. The composition of the intertidal community of B/C shores changed over time because of natural factors not related to the spill. A core group of species was found in each of the 4 years. This group of species represented between 9 to 30% of all species identified. Two other groups of species did not co-occur. One group was present in 1990 and 1991, but not in 1998 and 1999; the other group was present in 1998 and 1999, but not in 1990 and 1991. The progressive change in the animal community observed between 1990 and 1999 is very likely related to long-term climatic changes occurring in the study area and not the oil spill. This long-term study demonstrates the importance of study designs that allow separation of oiling effects from natural factors that can affect biological communities.

Long-Term Biological Damage: What is Known, and How Should that Influence Decisions on Response, Assessment, and Restoration?

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 (1) ◽  
pp. 399-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark G. Carls ◽  
Ron Heintz ◽  
Adam Moles ◽  
Stanley D. Rice ◽  
Jeffrey W. Short
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Environmental Cost ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Damage Scenarios

ABSTRACT Immediate damage from an oil spill is usually obvious (oiled birds, oiled shoreline), but long-term damage to either fauna or habitat is more subtle, difficult to measure, difficult to evaluate, and hence often controversial. The question is, are too many of response decisions such as dispersant use or shoreline cleanup based on short-term acute toxicity models? Have long-term damage scenarios been discounted because of the inherent difficulty in deriving definitive answers? Experience with the Exxon Valdez oil spill is shedding new light on the potential for long-term damage. Government-funded studies demonstrated that oil persists in certain habitats for extended periods of time, such as the intertidal reaches of salmon streams, in soft sediments underlying mussel beds, and on cobble beaches armored with large boulders. Observation of long-term persistence of oil in some habitats is not new, but an increasing number of studies indicate that fauna may be chronically and significantly exposed to oil in these habitats. The toxic components in oil responsible for much of the long-term effects are believed to be the larger 3- and 4-ring polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that can induce cellular and genetic effects rather than the narcotic monoaromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs) responsible for acute mortalities. Observation of long-term persistence of Exxon Valdez oil, coupled with adverse effects on sensitive life stages, leads to the conclusion that strategies based on minimizing acute mortalities immediately following a spill probably do not provide adequate protection against long-term damage. When making environmental decisions in response to a spill (prevention measures or restoration measures), more weight should probably be given to long-term issues rather than discounting their significance. Total environmental cost is the sum of short-term damage and long-term damage, and long term-damage to habitats and sensitive life stages probably needs more consideration even though it is very difficult to evaluate and compare to the relatively obvious acute issues.

Guanabara Bay Oil Spill 2000, Brazil – Cetacean Response

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 1035-1037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kirwan John Short
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Action Plans ◽  
Guanabara Bay ◽  
Operational Strategies ◽  
Response System ◽  
System A ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT On the 18th January 2000 a broken pipeline owned and operated by the oil company Petrobras spilt some 1300 tonne of bunker fuel into Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro. The wildlife response was divided amongst 2 operational strategies and included – avian fauna and cetaceans. This paper deals with the cetacean response only. Cetaceans are generally not considered as an important feature of an oil spill response. Contingency planning for cetaceans in oil spills is now becoming an important element for preparedness for some countries. The cetacean response in Guanabara Bay specifically targeted a pod of about 70 members of the species Sotalia fluviatilis, a small dolphin that inhabits the bay. The response included the development of a plan that included a response system, a monitoring program and action plans. The response system detailed the mechanism for the plan to work and adopted the incident control management system. The monitoring program related to the study of any short term or long term deleterious effects resulting from the spill and consisted of basic spatial, temporal and behavioural studies. Action plans were developed specific to the character of Guanabara Bay and included the rescue and rehabilitation strategies necessary to respond to oil affected cetaceans. A training program was then developed and implemented to personnel who were to enact the cetacean response.

scholarly journals Long-term impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on sea otters, assessed through age-dependent mortality patterns

2000 ◽  
Vol 97 (12) ◽  
pp. 6562-6567 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Monson ◽  
D. F. Doak ◽  
B. E. Ballachey ◽  
A. Johnson ◽  
J. L. Bodkin
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Sea Otters ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Dependent Mortality

scholarly journals The Louisiana Amphibian Monitoring Program from 1997 to 2017: Results, analyses, and lessons learned

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0257869
Author(s):  
Jacoby Carter ◽  
Darren Johnson ◽  
Jeff Boundy ◽  
William Vermillion
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
The North ◽  
Osteopilus Septentrionalis ◽  
Species Lists ◽  
Demographic Patterns ◽  
North And South ◽  
Term Monitoring

To determine trends in either frog distribution or abundance in the State of Louisiana, we reviewed and analyzed frog call data from the Louisiana Amphibian Monitoring Program (LAMP). The data were collected between 1997 and 2017 using North American Amphibian Monitoring Program protocols. Louisiana was divided into three survey regions for administration and analysis: the Florida Parishes, and 2 areas west of the Florida parishes called North and South. Fifty-four routes were surveyed with over 12,792 stops and 1,066 hours of observation. Observers heard 26 species of the 31 species reported to be in Louisiana. Three of the species not heard were natives with ranges that did not overlap with survey routes. The other two species were introduced species, the Rio Grande Chirping Frog (Eleutherodactylus cystignathoides) and the Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis). Both seem to be limited to urban areas with little to no route coverage. The 15 most commonly occurring species were examined in detail using the percentage of stops at which they observed along a given survey and their call indices. Most species exhibited a multimodal, concave, or convex pattern of abundance over a 15-year period. Among LAMP survey regions, none of the species had synchronous population trends. Only one group of species, winter callers, regularly co-occur. Based on the species lists, the North region could be seen as a subset of the South. However, based on relative abundance, the North was more similar to Florida parishes for both the winter and summer survey runs. Our analyses demonstrate that long-term monitoring (10 years or more) may be necessary to determine population and occupancy trends, and that frog species may have different local demographic patterns across large geographic areas.

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