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Asl AG, Nabavi SMB, Rouzbahani MM, Alipour SS, Monavari SM. Persistent organic pollutants influence the marine benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in surface sediments of Nayband National Park and Bay, Northern Persian Gulf, Iran. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:30254-30270. [PMID: 36422775 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24232-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Macroinvertebrate communities have been influenced by chemical substances, originated from petrochemical developments, that caused many problems in the marine biota. This study investigated the surface sediments of Nayband National Park and Bay (northern Persian Gulf) for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in terms of their distribution, source, and impacts on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. To this end, a total of 180 surface sediment samples from 20 stations were collected using Van-Veen grab sampler during winter 2018. The concentration of PAHs, TPHs, total organic carbon (TOC). and total organic matter (TOM) were evaluated, and grain size measurements were conducted on sediment samples in this study. Benthic macroinvertebrates were then identified in terms of presence and distribution. The results indicated that coarse granulometric fractions of sands were prevalence in all samples stations. The total concentration of PAHs ranged from 47.57 to 657.68 ng/g and TPHs 5.72 to 42.16 µg/g dw. The risk of ΣPAHs and TPHs in the sediments was relatively low to moderate according to the sediment quality guidelines. Analysis of the results revealed a significant negative correlation between ΣPAHs (R-value = - 0.917; P < 0.01), TPHs (R-value = - 0.849; P < 0.01) and macrofaunal abundance. Findings demonstrated that the species richness and abundance were at the lowest levels in stations where concentrations of PAHs, TPHs, TOC, and TOM were in the highest values, suggesting that these contaminants could negatively influence the benthic organisms in Nayband National Park and Bay. The results of correspondence analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) analysis showed that sedimentary habitats in Nayband National Park and Bay are being negatively affected by PAHs and TPHs, released from Pars Special Economic Energy Zone (PSEEZ). Moreover, the marine biotic index (AMBI) and Shannon-Weiner Diversity (H') results suggest that Nayband National Park and Bay can be classified as slightly to moderate polluted area. In conclusion, Northern Persian Gulf is significantly affected by oil industry developments and petrochemical activities. The unique ecosystem like Nayband National Park and Bay has been in a cautious status in terms of the PSEEZ pollutants and the levels of PAHs and TPHs concentration, warning that urgent environmental programs should be considered to protect the diversity and ecology of this valuable marine systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Ghanavati Asl
- Department of Environment, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran
| | | | | | - Sima Sabz Alipour
- Department of Environment, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran
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Vad J, Duran Suja L, Summers S, Henry TB, Roberts JM. Marine Sponges in a Snowstorm – Extreme Sensitivity of a Sponge Holobiont to Marine Oil Snow and Chemically Dispersed Oil Pollution. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:909853. [PMID: 35910618 PMCID: PMC9335075 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.909853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Holobionts formed by a host organism and associated symbionts are key biological units in marine ecosystems where they are responsible for fundamental ecosystem services. Therefore, understanding anthropogenic impacts on holobionts is essential. Sponges (Phylum Porifera) are ideal holobiont models. They host a complex microbial community and provide ecosystem services including nutrient cycling. At bathyal depths, sponges can accumulate forming dense sponge ground habitats supporting biodiverse associated communities. However, the impacts of spilled oil and dispersants on sponge grounds cannot be understood without considering exposures mediated through sponge filtration of marine snow particles. To examine this, we exposed the model sponge Halichondria panicea to oil, dispersant and “marine oil snow” contaminated seawater and elucidate the complex molecular response of the holobiont through metatranscriptomics. While the host response included detoxification and immune response pathways, the bacterial symbiotic response differed and was at least partially the result of a change in the host environment rather than a direct response to hydrocarbon exposure. As the sponge host reduced its pumping activity and internal tissue oxygen levels declined, the symbionts changed their metabolism from aerobic to anaerobic pathways possibly via quorum sensing. Furthermore, we found evidence of hydrocarbon degradation by sponge symbionts, but sponge mortality (even when exposed to low concentrations of hydrocarbons) implied this may not provide the holobiont with sufficient resilience against contaminants. Given the continued proposed expansion of hydrocarbon production into deep continental shelf and slope settings where sponge grounds form significant habitats it is important that dispersant use is minimised and that environmental impact assessments carefully consider the vulnerability of sponge holobionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanne Vad
- Changing Oceans Group, School of Geosciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Johanne Vad,
| | - Laura Duran Suja
- Changing Oceans Group, School of Geosciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Summers
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Theodore B. Henry
- School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, United Kingdom
| | - J. Murray Roberts
- Changing Oceans Group, School of Geosciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Rohal M, Barrera N, Van Eenennaam JS, Foekema EM, Montagna PA, Murk AJ, Pryor M, Romero IC. The effects of experimental oil-contaminated marine snow on meiofauna in a microcosm. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 150:110656. [PMID: 31678679 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
During an oil spill, a marine oil snow sedimentation and flocculent accumulation (MOSSFA) event can transport oil residue to the seafloor. Microcosm experiments were used to test the effects of oil residues on meiofaunal abundance and the nematode:copepod ratio under different oil concentrations and in the presence and absence of marine snow. Total meiofaunal abundance was 1.7 times higher in the presence of snow regardless of oil concentration. The nematode:copepod ratio was 13.9 times lower in the snow treatment regardless of the oil concentration. Copepod abundance was 24.3 times higher in marine snow treatments and 4.3 times higher at the highest oil concentration. Nematode abundance was 1.7 times lower at the highest oil concentration. The result of the experiment was an enrichment effect. The lack of a toxic response in the experiments may be attributable to relatively low oil concentrations, weathering processes, and the absence of chemically dispersed oil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Rohal
- Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Unit 5869, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA.
| | - Noe Barrera
- Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Unit 5869, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA
| | - Justine S Van Eenennaam
- Wageningen University & Research, Marine Animal Ecology Group, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Edwin M Foekema
- Wageningen University & Research, Marine Animal Ecology Group, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen Marine Research, P.O. Box 57, 1780 AB, Den Helder, the Netherlands
| | - Paul A Montagna
- Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Unit 5869, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA
| | - Albertinka J Murk
- Wageningen University & Research, Marine Animal Ecology Group, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marissa Pryor
- Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Unit 5869, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA
| | - Isabel C Romero
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 140 7th Ave S, St Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
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Mearns AJ, Bissell M, Morrison AM, Rempel-Hester MA, Arthur C, Rutherford N. Effects of pollution on marine organisms. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2019; 91:1229-1252. [PMID: 31513312 DOI: 10.1002/wer.1218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This review covers selected 2018 articles on the biological effects of pollutants, including human physical disturbances, on marine and estuarine plants, animals, ecosystems, and habitats. The review, based largely on journal articles, covers field and laboratory measurement activities (bioaccumulation of contaminants, field assessment surveys, toxicity testing, and biomarkers) as well as pollution issues of current interest including endocrine disrupters, emerging contaminants, wastewater discharges, marine debris, dredging, and disposal. Special emphasis is placed on effects of oil spills and marine debris due largely to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil blowout in the Gulf of Mexico and proliferation of data on the assimilation and effects of marine debris. Several topical areas reviewed in the past (e.g., mass mortalities ocean acidification) were dropped this year. The focus of this review is on effects, not on pollutant sources, chemistry, fate, or transport. There is considerable overlap across subject areas (e.g., some bioaccumulation data may be appear in other topical categories such as effects of wastewater discharges, or biomarker studies appearing in oil toxicity literature). Therefore, we strongly urge readers to use keyword searching of the text and references to locate related but distributed information. Although nearly 400 papers are cited, these now represent a fraction of the literature on these subjects. Use this review mainly as a starting point. And please consult the original papers before citing them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan J Mearns
- Emergency Response Division, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Seattle, Washington
| | - Mathew Bissell
- Emergency Response Division, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Seattle, Washington
| | | | | | | | - Nicolle Rutherford
- Emergency Response Division, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Seattle, Washington
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van Eenennaam JS, Rohal M, Montagna PA, Radović JR, Oldenburg TBP, Romero IC, Murk AJ, Foekema EM. Ecotoxicological benthic impacts of experimental oil-contaminated marine snow deposition. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 141:164-175. [PMID: 30955722 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Marine Oil Snow Sedimentation and Flocculent Accumulation (MOSSFA) can pose serious threats to the marine benthic ecosystem as it results in a deposition of oil contaminated marine snow on the sediment surface. In a microcosm experiment we investigated the effects of oil in combination with artificial marine snow or kaolin clay on two benthic invertebrate species and benthic meiofauna. The amphipod showed a dose-dependent decrease in survival for both oil-contaminated clay and oil-contaminated marine snow. The gastropod was only affected by the highest concentration of oil-contaminated marine snow and had internal concentrations of PAHs with a similar distribution as oil-contaminated marine snow. Benthic copepods showed higher survival in presence of marine snow. This study revealed that marine snow on the sediment after oil spills affects organisms in a trait-dependent way and that it can be a vector for introducing oil into the food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine S van Eenennaam
- Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Melissa Rohal
- Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Unit 5869, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA
| | - Paul A Montagna
- Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Unit 5869, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA
| | - Jagoš R Radović
- PRG, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, T2N 1N4 Calgary, Canada
| | - Thomas B P Oldenburg
- PRG, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, T2N 1N4 Calgary, Canada
| | - Isabel C Romero
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 140 7th Ave S., St Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
| | - AlberTinka J Murk
- Marine Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin M Foekema
- Marine Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands; Wageningen Marine Research, P.O. Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, The Netherlands.
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Zhao S, Ward JE, Danley M, Mincer TJ. Field-Based Evidence for Microplastic in Marine Aggregates and Mussels: Implications for Trophic Transfer. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:11038-11048. [PMID: 30156835 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b03467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Marine aggregates incorporate particles from the environment, including microplastic (MP). The characteristics of MP in aggregates and the role of aggregates in linking MP with marine organisms, however, are poorly understood. To address these issues, we collected aggregates and blue mussels, Mytulis edulis, at Avery Point, CT, and analyzed samples with microspectrometers. Results indicate that over 70% of aggregates sampled harbored MP (1290 ± 1510 particles/m3). Fifteen polymer types were identified, with polypropylene, polyester and synthetic-cellulose accounting for 44.7%, 21.2% and 10.6%, respectively, of the total MP count. Over 90% of MP in aggregates were ≤1000 μm, suggesting that aggregations are a sink for this size fraction. Although size, shape, and chemical type of MP captured by mussels were representative of those found in aggregates, differences in the sizes of MP in pseudofeces, feces and digestive gland/gut were found, suggesting size-dependent particle ingestion. Over 40% of the MP particles were either rejected in pseudofeces or egested in feces. Our results are the first to identify a connection between field-collected marine aggregates and bivalves, and indicate that aggregates may play an important role in removing MP from the ocean surface and facilitating their transfer to marine food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiye Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research , East China Normal University , 3663 Zhongshan N. Road , 200062 Shanghai , P.R. China
- Biology Department , Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution , 360 Woods Hole Road , Woods Hole , Massachusetts 02543 , United States
| | - J Evan Ward
- Department of Marine Sciences , University of Connecticut , 1080 Shennecossett Road , Groton , Connecticut 06340 , United States
| | - Meghan Danley
- Marine Biology , University of New England , 11 Hills Beach Rd , Biddeford , Maine 04005 , United States
| | - Tracy J Mincer
- Department of Math and Sciences , Wilkes Honors College and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University , Jupiter , Florida United States
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Theoretical Insight into the Biodegradation of Solitary Oil Microdroplets Moving through a Water Column. Bioengineering (Basel) 2018; 5:bioengineering5010015. [PMID: 29439555 PMCID: PMC5874881 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering5010015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In the aftermath of oil spills in the sea, clouds of droplets drift into the seawater column and are carried away by sea currents. The fate of the drifting droplets is determined by natural attenuation processes, mainly dissolution into the seawater and biodegradation by oil-degrading microbial communities. Specifically, microbes have developed three fundamental strategies for accessing and assimilating oily substrates. Depending on their affinity for the oily phase and ability to proliferate in multicellular structures, microbes might either attach to the oil surface and directly uptake compounds from the oily phase, or grow suspended in the aqueous phase consuming solubilized oil, or form three-dimensional biofilms over the oil–water interface. In this work, a compound particle model that accounts for all three microbial strategies is developed for the biodegradation of solitary oil microdroplets moving through a water column. Under a set of educated hypotheses, the hydrodynamics and solute transport problems are amenable to analytical solutions and a closed-form correlation is established for the overall dissolution rate as a function of the Thiele modulus, the Biot number and other key parameters. Moreover, two coupled ordinary differential equations are formulated for the evolution of the particle size and used to investigate the impact of the dissolution and biodegradation processes on the droplet shrinking rate.
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