1
|
Chakrabarty P, Sheehy AJ, Clute X, Cruz SB, Ballengée B. Ten years later: An update on the status of collections of endemic Gulf of Mexico fishes put at risk by the 2010 Oil Spill. Biodivers Data J 2024; 12:e113399. [PMID: 38495309 PMCID: PMC10944561 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.12.e113399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The 2010 Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon was the largest oil spill in human history that occurred during a 12-week period in a region less than 100 km from the coast of Louisiana; however, after more than a decade of post-spill research, few definitives can be said to be known about the long-term impacts on the development and distribution of fishes in and around the region of the disaster. Here, we examine endemic Gulf of Mexico fish species that may have been most impacted by noting their past distributions in the region of the spill and examining data of known collecting events and observations over the last twenty years (ten years prior to the spill, ten years post-spill). Five years post-spill, it was reported that 48 of the Gulf's endemic fish species had not been collected and, with expanded methods, we now report that 29 (of the 78 endemic species) have not been reported in collections since 2010 (five of these are only known from observations post-spill). Although the good news that some previously 'missing' species have been found may be cause to celebrate, the lack of information for many species remains a cause for concern given focused sampling efforts post-spill.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prosanta Chakrabarty
- Louisiana State Unviersity, Museum of Natural Science, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of AmericaLouisiana State Unviersity, Museum of Natural ScienceBaton Rouge, LouisianaUnited States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of AmericaDepartment of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State UniversityBaton Rouge, LouisianaUnited States of America
- Canadian Museum of Nature, Zoology, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaCanadian Museum of Nature, ZoologyOttawa, OntarioCanada
- American Museum of Natural History, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, New York, New York, United States of AmericaAmerican Museum of Natural History, Division of Vertebrate ZoologyNew York, New YorkUnited States of America
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Washington, D.C., United States of AmericaSmithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate ZoologyWashington, D.C.United States of America
| | - Alec J. Sheehy
- Louisiana State University, Museum of Natural Science, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of AmericaLouisiana State University, Museum of Natural ScienceBaton Rouge, LAUnited States of America
| | - Xavier Clute
- Louisiana State University, Museum of Natural Science, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of AmericaLouisiana State University, Museum of Natural ScienceBaton Rouge, LAUnited States of America
| | - Shannon B. Cruz
- Tulane University Biodiversity Research Institute, Belle Chasse, LA, United States of AmericaTulane University Biodiversity Research InstituteBelle Chasse, LAUnited States of America
| | - Brandon Ballengée
- Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of AmericaMuseum of Natural Science, Louisiana State UniversityBaton Rouge, LAUnited States of America
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University,, New Orleans, LA, United States of AmericaDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University,New Orleans, LAUnited States of America
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Venegas-Li R, Levin N, Morales-Barquero L, Kaschner K, Garilao C, Kark S. Global assessment of marine biodiversity potentially threatened by offshore hydrocarbon activities. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:2009-2020. [PMID: 30854759 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Increasing global energy demands have led to the ongoing intensification of hydrocarbon extraction from marine areas. Hydrocarbon extractive activities pose threats to native marine biodiversity, such as noise, light, and chemical pollution, physical changes to the sea floor, invasive species, and greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we assessed at a global scale the spatial overlap between offshore hydrocarbon activities and marine biodiversity (>25,000 species, nine major ecosystems, and marine protected areas), and quantify the changes over time. We discovered that two-thirds of global offshore hydrocarbon activities occur in areas within the top 10% for species richness, range rarity, and proportional range rarity values globally. Thus, while hydrocarbon activities are undertaken in less than one percent of the ocean's area, they overlap with approximately 85% of all assessed species. Of conservation concern, 4% of species with the largest proportion of their range overlapping hydrocarbon activities are range restricted, potentially increasing their vulnerability to localized threats such as oil spills. While hydrocarbon activities have extended to greater depths since the mid-1990s, we found that the largest overlap is with coastal ecosystems, particularly estuaries, saltmarshes and mangroves. Furthermore, in most countries where offshore hydrocarbon exploration licensing blocks have been delineated, they do not overlap with marine protected areas (MPAs). Although this is positive in principle, many countries have far more licensing block areas than protected areas, and in some instances, MPA coverage is minimal. These findings suggest the need for marine spatial prioritization to help limit future spatial overlap between marine conservation priorities and hydrocarbon activities. Such prioritization can be informed by the spatial and quantitative baseline information provided here. In increasingly shared seascapes, prioritizing management actions that set both conservation and development targets could help minimize further declines of biodiversity and environmental changes at a global scale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Venegas-Li
- The Biodiversity Research Group, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Noam Levin
- Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Department of Geography, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Lucía Morales-Barquero
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Kristin Kaschner
- Department of Biometry and Environmental Systems Analysis, Albert-Ludwigs University, Freiburg i. Br., Germany
| | | | - Salit Kark
- The Biodiversity Research Group, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Perez-Umphrey AA, Bergeon Burns CM, Stouffer PC, Woltmann S, Taylor SS. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in seaside sparrows (Ammodramus maritimus) following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 630:1086-1094. [PMID: 29554730 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The seaside sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus) is an abundant and permanent resident of coastal salt marshes impacted by the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Such terrestrial species are often overlooked in the aftermath of marine spills, despite the potential for long-term oil exposure. We sampled the livers of seaside sparrows residing in oiled and unoiled sites from 2011 to 2014 and quantified expression of cytochrome p450 1A (CYP1A), a gene involved in the metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In August 2011, CYP1A expression was markedly higher in birds from an oiled site compared to an unoiled site, but differences had disappeared by June 2012. In June 2013, CYP1A expression was elevated compared to 2012 levels on all sites, including those collected from sites that had not been directly oiled during the spill. This rise in CYP1A expression was possibly due to Hurricane Isaac, which made landfall near our sites between the 2012 and 2013 sampling periods. CYP1A expression was significantly attenuated again in June 2014. We also collected sediment samples from the same marshes for a total concentration analysis of PAHs. The PAH concentrations in sediment samples exhibited a similar pattern to the CYP1A data, supporting the link between marsh PAHs and bird CYP1A expression. These results indicate that contamination from marine oil spills can immediately extend to terrestrial ecosystems, and that storms, weather, or other factors may influence subsequent spatial and temporal oil exposure for several additional years.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Perez-Umphrey
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University and AgCenter, 227 RNR Building, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
| | - Christine M Bergeon Burns
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University and AgCenter, 227 RNR Building, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Philip C Stouffer
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University and AgCenter, 227 RNR Building, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Stefan Woltmann
- Department of Biology, and Center of Excellence for Field Biology, Austin Peay State University, 601 College St., Clarksville, TN, 37040, USA
| | - Sabrina S Taylor
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University and AgCenter, 227 RNR Building, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Dietl GP, Durham SR. Geohistorical records indicate no impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on oyster body size. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160763. [PMID: 28018663 PMCID: PMC5180161 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Documentation of the near- and long-term effects of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, one of the largest environmental disasters in US history, is still ongoing. We used a novel before-after-control-impact analysis to test the hypothesis that average body size of intertidal populations of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) inhabiting impacted areas in Louisiana decreased due to increased stress/mortality related to the oil spill. Time-averaged death assemblages of oysters were used to establish a pre-spill baseline of body-size structure for four impacted and four control locations along a 350 km stretch of Louisiana's coastline. Post-spill body sizes were then measured from live oysters at each site in order to evaluate the differences in body size between oiled (i.e. impact) and unoiled (i.e. control) locations before and after the spill. Our results indicate that average body size of oysters remained relatively unchanged after the oil spill. There were also no temporal patterns in temperature, salinity or disease prevalence that could have explained our results. Together, these findings suggest that oysters either recovered rapidly following the immediate impact of the DWH oil spill, or that its impact was not severe enough to influence short-term population dynamics of the oyster beds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gregory P. Dietl
- Paleontological Research Institution, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Stephen R. Durham
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Chakrabarty P, O'Neill GA, Hardy B, Ballengee B. Five Years Later: An Update on the Status of Collections of Endemic Gulf of Mexico Fishes Put at Risk by the 2010 Oil Spill. Biodivers Data J 2016:e8728. [PMID: 27660530 PMCID: PMC5018106 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.4.e8728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill took place over 180,000 square kilometers during a 12-week period over five years ago; however, this event continues to influence the development and distribution of organisms in and around the region of the disaster. Here we examine fish species that may have been most affected by noting their past distribution in the region of the spill and examining data of known collecting events over the last 10 years (five years prior to the spill, five years post spill). New information We found that more than half of the endemic fish species of the Gulf (45 of 77)
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prosanta Chakrabarty
- Louisiana State Unviersity Museum of Natural Science, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America; National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Glynn A O'Neill
- Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, United States of America
| | - Brannon Hardy
- Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, United States of America
| | - Brandon Ballengee
- Louisiana State Unviersity Museum of Natural Science, Baton Rouge, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|