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Pérez-Del-Olmo A, Raga JA, Kostadinova A. Parasite communities in a marine fish indicate ecological recovery from the impacts of the Prestige oil-spill 12-13 years after the disaster. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 847:157354. [PMID: 35850338 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157354] [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: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Prestige oil-spill (2002) is one of the major marine accidents resulting in contamination of virtually all types of marine habitat along c.900 km of coastline in the North-East Atlantic. Environmental pollution affects parasite populations and communities, both directly and through effects on intermediate and definitive hosts. However, the effects of oil-spills on shelf benthic communities are poorly known. This study addressed the hypothesis of recovery of parasite communities in a marine sparid teleost, the bogue Boops boops (L.) (Teleostei: Sparidae), as indicators of environmental pollution and its effects on benthic/pelagic invertebrate communities in an impacted area off the Galician coast, Spain, 12-13 years after the Prestige oil-spill. Novel data for the metazoan parasite communities collected during 2014-2015 were analysed in association with two unique datasets, one comprising baseline data collected in 2001, one year before the Prestige oil-spill, and one comprising data collected 3-4 years post-spill (2005-2006). Using the taxonomically consistent data on parasites in a series of fish seasonal samples, we found significant differences between the two seasonal post-spill datasets taken at a 9-year time interval (3-4 years and 12-13 years post-spill) in most community metrics and infection parameters of the common species. This was in sharp contrast with the few differences between the long-term post-spill dataset of 2014-2015 and the pre-spill dataset of 2001. Multivariate community similarity analyses confirmed that these differences reflected in the substantial differentiation of parasite community composition and structure of the post-spill communities and the significant homogenisation of communities sampled 12-13 years post-spill and baseline communities. Overall, the novel analyses demonstrated a long-term directional trend in parasite community succession towards ecological recovery irrespective of the natural seasonal variability. These findings suggest longer-term oil-spill impacts on shelf benthic/pelagic invertebrate communities lasting over 10 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Pérez-Del-Olmo
- Marine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Science Park, University of Valencia, C/Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, Spain.
| | - Juan Antonio Raga
- Marine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Science Park, University of Valencia, C/Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - Aneta Kostadinova
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
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2
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Ibrar M, Khan S, Hasan F, Yang X. Biosurfactants and chemotaxis interplay in microbial consortium-based hydrocarbons degradation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:24391-24410. [PMID: 35061186 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-18492-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Hydrocarbons are routinely detected at low concentrations, despite the degrading metabolic potential of ubiquitous microorganisms. The potential drivers of hydrocarbons persistence are lower bioavailability and mass transfer limitation. Recently, bioremediation strategies have developed rapidly, but still, the solution is not resilient. Biosurfactants, known to increase bioavailability and augment biodegradation, are tightly linked to bacterial surface motility and chemotaxis, while chemotaxis help bacteria to locate aromatic compounds and increase the mass transfer. Harassing the biosurfactant production and chemotaxis properties of degrading microorganisms could be a possible approach for the complete degradation of hydrocarbons. This review provides an overview of interplay between biosurfactants and chemotaxis in bioremediation. Besides, we discuss the chemical surfactants and biosurfactant-mediated biodegradation by microbial consortium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Ibrar
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Ecology Environment, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, 430074, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Salman Khan
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Fariha Hasan
- Department of Microbiology, Applied, Environmental and Geomicrobiology Laboratory, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Xuewei Yang
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China.
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Ecology Environment, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
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3
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Waugh JK, Jones T, Parrish JK. Using beached bird data to assess seabird oiling susceptibility. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 176:113437. [PMID: 35183023 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Oil spills can cause severe impacts on seabirds, the extent of which varies by species. We investigated taxon-specific susceptibility using data from the Nestucca and Tenyo Maru oil spills in the northeast Pacific together with seasonally and spatially overlapping baseline beached bird abundance data collected over a 17-year time-period. Multivariate analyses revealed patterns of variation between spill and non-spill data, primarily driven by differences in the relative abundance of common murres (Uria aalge) and northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis). In subsequent susceptibility analyses, alcid (Alcidae spp.) carcasses were generally overrepresented in spill data, while gulls (Larus spp.), tubenoses (Procellariformes spp.), and cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae spp.) were generally under-represented. We found that the baseline data had high variability, suggesting a need for many years of baseline data. We propose that where appropriate baseline data exists, this method can be employed to investigate the seabirds most vulnerable to oiling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jazzmine K Waugh
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, 24 Kincaid Hall, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
| | - Timothy Jones
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, 1122 NE Boat Street, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Julia K Parrish
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, 24 Kincaid Hall, Seattle, WA 98105, USA; School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, 1122 NE Boat Street, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
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4
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Takeshita R, Bursian SJ, Colegrove KM, Collier TK, Deak K, Dean KM, De Guise S, DiPinto LM, Elferink CJ, Esbaugh AJ, Griffitt RJ, Grosell M, Harr KE, Incardona JP, Kwok RK, Lipton J, Mitchelmore CL, Morris JM, Peters ES, Roberts AP, Rowles TK, Rusiecki JA, Schwacke LH, Smith CR, Wetzel DL, Ziccardi MH, Hall AJ. A review of the toxicology of oil in vertebrates: what we have learned following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2021; 24:355-394. [PMID: 34542016 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2021.1975182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, a number of government agencies, academic institutions, consultants, and nonprofit organizations conducted lab- and field-based research to understand the toxic effects of the oil. Lab testing was performed with a variety of fish, birds, turtles, and vertebrate cell lines (as well as invertebrates); field biologists conducted observations on fish, birds, turtles, and marine mammals; and epidemiologists carried out observational studies in humans. Eight years after the spill, scientists and resource managers held a workshop to summarize the similarities and differences in the effects of DWH oil on vertebrate taxa and to identify remaining gaps in our understanding of oil toxicity in wildlife and humans, building upon the cross-taxonomic synthesis initiated during the Natural Resource Damage Assessment. Across the studies, consistency was found in the types of toxic response observed in the different organisms. Impairment of stress responses and adrenal gland function, cardiotoxicity, immune system dysfunction, disruption of blood cells and their function, effects on locomotion, and oxidative damage were observed across taxa. This consistency suggests conservation in the mechanisms of action and disease pathogenesis. From a toxicological perspective, a logical progression of impacts was noted: from molecular and cellular effects that manifest as organ dysfunction, to systemic effects that compromise fitness, growth, reproductive potential, and survival. From a clinical perspective, adverse health effects from DWH oil spill exposure formed a suite of signs/symptomatic responses that at the highest doses/concentrations resulted in multi-organ system failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Takeshita
- Conservation Medicine, National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Steven J Bursian
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States
| | - Kathleen M Colegrove
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Brookfield, Illinois, United States
| | - Tracy K Collier
- Zoological Pathology Program, Huxley College of the Environment, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, United States
| | - Kristina Deak
- College of Marine Sciences, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States
| | | | - Sylvain De Guise
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States
| | - Lisa M DiPinto
- Office of Response and Restoration, NOAA, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
| | - Cornelis J Elferink
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States
| | - Andrew J Esbaugh
- Marine Science Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, Texas, United States
| | - Robert J Griffitt
- Division of Coastal Sciences, School of Ocean Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, Gulfport, Mississippi, United States
| | - Martin Grosell
- RSMAS, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States
| | | | - John P Incardona
- NOAA Environmental Conservation Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, Washington, United States
| | - Richard K Kwok
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, North Carolina, United States
| | | | - Carys L Mitchelmore
- University of Maryland Center of Environmental Science, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, Solomons, Maryland, United States
| | - Jeffrey M Morris
- Health and Environment Division, Abt Associates, Boulder, Colorado, United States
| | - Edward S Peters
- Department of Epidemiology, LSU School of Public Health, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
| | - Aaron P Roberts
- Advanced Environmental Research Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, United States
| | - Teresa K Rowles
- NOAA Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
| | - Jennifer A Rusiecki
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Lori H Schwacke
- Conservation Medicine, National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Cynthia R Smith
- Conservation Medicine, National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Dana L Wetzel
- Environmental Laboratory of Forensics, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida, United States
| | - Michael H Ziccardi
- School of Veterinary Medicine, One Health Institute, University of California, Davis, California, United States
| | - Ailsa J Hall
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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POSTRELEASE SURVIVAL OF CALIFORNIA BROWN PELICANS (PELECANUS OCCIDENTALIS CALIFORNICUS) FOLLOWING OILING AND REHABILITATION AFTER THE REFUGIO OIL SPILL. J Wildl Dis 2021; 57:590-600. [PMID: 33961034 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-20-00171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Oil spills represent a continued threat to marine wildlife. Although the public expects, and the State of California, US requires, oiled animals to be rescued for rehabilitation and release, scientists have questioned the welfare and conservation value of capture and rehabilitation of oiled wildlife, based on poor postrelease survival documented in the few available studies. In May 2015, Plains Pipeline 901 spilled >100,000 gallons of oil near Refugio State Beach, California. Many California Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) were oiled; capture and rehabilitation efforts began within 1 d. Ultimately, 65 live birds were captured, including 50 pelicans. Forty-six pelicans survived and were released. Of these, 12 adults (six male, six female) were fitted with solar-powered GPS satellite Platform Terminal Transmitters (PTT) and released in June 2015. In early July, we captured eight adult (three male, four female, one unknown), unoiled pelicans from the Ventura, California area. These control birds were similarly instrumented and released immediately. At 6 mo after release, PTTs from nine of 12 oiled pelicans and six of eight control pelicans were still transmitting; at 1 yr, those numbers decreased to two of 12 and two of eight, respectively. Survival analysis revealed no difference in survival between oiled and control birds. Although our sample size is limited, these data demonstrate that most oiled and rehabilitated pelicans can survive for 6 mo following release, and some individuals can survive over 1 yr.
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King MD, Elliott JE, Williams TD. Effects of petroleum exposure on birds: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 755:142834. [PMID: 33109373 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Birds are vulnerable to petroleum pollution, and exposure has a range of negative effects resulting from plumage fouling, systemic toxicity, and embryotoxicity. Recent research has not been synthesized since Leighton's 1993 review despite the continued discharge of conventional petroleum, including high-volume oil spills and chronic oil pollution, as well as the emergence of understudied unconventional crude oil types. To address this, we reviewed the individual-level effects of crude oil and refined fuel exposure in avifauna with peer-reviewed articles published 1993-2020 to provide a critical synthesis of the state of the science. We also sought to answer how unconventional crude petroleum effects compare with conventional crude oil. Relevant knowledge gaps and research challenges were identified. The resulting review examines avian exposure to petroleum and synthesizes advances regarding the physical effects of oil hydrocarbons on feather structure and function, as well the toxic effects of inhaled or ingested oil, embryotoxicity, and how exposure affects broader scale endpoints related to behavior, reproduction, and survival. Another outcome of the review was the knowledge gaps and challenges identified. The first finding was a paucity of oil ingestion rate estimates in birds. Characterizing environmentally realistic exposure and ingestion rates is a higher research priority than additional conventional oral dosing experiments. Second, there is an absence of toxicity data for unconventional crude petroleum. Although the effects of air and water contamination in the Canadian oil sands region have received attention, toxicity data for direct exposure to unrefined bitumen produced there in high volumes and other such unconventional oil types are needed. Third, we encountered barriers to the interpretation, replication, broad relevance, and comparability of studies. We therefore propose best practices and promising technological advancements for researchers. This review consolidates our understanding of petroleum's effects on birds and points a way forward for researchers and resource managers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason D King
- Simon Fraser University, Department of Biological Sciences, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - John E Elliott
- Simon Fraser University, Department of Biological Sciences, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada; Environment and Climate Change Canada, Science and Technology Division, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC V4K 3N2, Canada.
| | - Tony D Williams
- Simon Fraser University, Department of Biological Sciences, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
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7
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Raez-Villanueva S, Perono GA, Jamshed L, Thomas PJ, Holloway AC. Effects of dibenzothiophene, a sulfur-containing heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, and its alkylated congener, 2,4,7-trimethyldibenzothiophene, on placental trophoblast cell function. J Appl Toxicol 2020; 41:1367-1379. [PMID: 33314207 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Worldwide demand for petroleum products has resulted in increased oil and gas activities in many countries. Conventional and unconventional oil and gas extraction, production, and transport lead to increased levels of petroleum-derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the environment. PAH exposure has profound effects on reproduction by affecting pathways involved in placental trophoblast cell function and impairing normal placental development and function-key contributors to reproductive success. However, other components found in petroleum and wastewaters from oil and gas extraction, including the sulfur-containing heterocyclic aromatic compounds such as dibenzothiophene (DBT) and its alkylated derivatives, may also impact reproductive success. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of exposure to DBT, a compound commonly detected in the environment, and one of its alkylated analogues, 2,4,7-trimethyldibenzothiophene (2,4,7-DBT), on steroidogenic and angiogenic pathways critical for mammalian development in placental trophoblast cells (HTR-8/SVneo cells). 2,4,7-DBT but not DBT increased estradiol output in association with increased tube-like formation (surrogate for angiogenesis). These changes in angiogenesis did not appear to be related to altered expression of the key placental angiogenic gene targets (ANGPTL4, VEGFA, and PGF). Neither compound showed a concentration related effect on progesterone synthesis or its receptor expression. Our results suggest that 2,4,7-DBT can disrupt key pathways important for placental trophoblast function and highlight the importance of determining the impact of exposure to both parent and alkylated compounds. Further, these data suggest that exposure to sulfur-containing heterocyclic aromatic compounds may lead to placental dysfunction and impact reproductive success at environmentally relevant levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Genevieve A Perono
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Laiba Jamshed
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Philippe J Thomas
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alison C Holloway
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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8
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Arekhi M, Terry LG, John GF, Al-Khayat JA, Castillo AB, Vethamony P, Clement TP. Field and laboratory investigation of tarmat deposits found on Ras Rakan Island and northern beaches of Qatar. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 735:139516. [PMID: 32492568 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Beaches of Ras Rakan Island, located off the northern tip of Qatar, are extensively contaminated by highly weathered tarmat deposits. The focus of this study is to determine the possible source of the contamination and complete a preliminary assessment of its potential environmental impacts. The field data collected at this site indicated that the tarmat residues contained highly weathered, black, asphalt-like material and the contamination problem was widespread. Based on these field observations, the following two hypotheses were formulated: (1) the tarmats must have formed from the residual oil deposited by a relatively large, regional-scale oil spill event, and (2) the oil spill must be relatively old. As part of this study, we collected tarmat residues from several beaches located along the northern region of Qatar Peninsula. We found the hopane fingerprints of these tarmat samples were identical to the fingerprints of the samples collected from Ras Rakan Island. These results together with our physical field observational data validated our hypothesis that the oil spill should have been a regional-scale event. Furthermore, we compared the measured hopane fingerprints of our field samples with fingerprints of reference crude oils from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Basrah (located close to Kuwait border), and with the literature-derived hopane fingerprints of Kuwaiti and Iranian crude oils. This analysis indicated that the hopane fingerprints of the tarmat samples closely matched the Kuwaiti and Basrah crude oil fingerprints. Since there were no known oil spills of Basrah crude in this region, the highly weathered, asphalt-looking tarmats should have most likely formed from the 1991 Gulf War oil spill, an old oil spill. The concentrations of parent and alkylated PAHs in the tarmat samples were also quantified to provide a preliminary assessment of potential environmental risks posed by these tarmats to Qatar's coastal ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieh Arekhi
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Leigh G Terry
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Gerald F John
- Department of Science and Technology, Bryant University, RI, USA
| | | | | | | | - T Prabhakar Clement
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA.
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9
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Ono K, Knutsen H, Olsen EM, Ruus A, Hjermann DØ, Chr Stenseth N. Possible adverse impact of contaminants on Atlantic cod population dynamics in coastal ecosystems. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191167. [PMID: 31362638 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
While many in-laboratory ecotoxicological studies have shown the adverse impact of pollutants to the fitness of an individual, direct evidence from the field on the population dynamics of wildlife animals has been lacking. Here, we provide empirical support for a negative effect of pollution on Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) population dynamics in coastal waters of Norway by combining unique time series of juvenile cod abundance, body size, environmental concentration of toxic contaminants and a spatially structured population dynamics model. The study shows that mercury concentration might have decreased the reproductive potential of cod in the region despite the general decline in the environmental concentration of mercury, cadmium and hexachlorobenzene since the implementation of national environmental laws. However, some cod populations appeared to be more resistant to mercury pollution than others, and the strength and shape of mercury effect on cod reproductive potential was fjord-specific. Additionally, cod growth rate changed at scales smaller than fjords with a gradient related to the exposure to the open ocean and offshore cod. These spatial differences in life-history traits emphasize the importance of local adaptation in shaping the dynamics of local wildlife populations. Finally, this study highlights the possibility to mitigate pollution effects on natural populations by reducing the overall pollution level, but also reveals that pollution reduction alone is not enough to rebuild local cod populations. Cod population recovery probably requires complementary efforts on fishing regulation and habitat restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotaro Ono
- Centre for Coastal Research (CCR), University of Agder, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Halvor Knutsen
- Centre for Coastal Research (CCR), University of Agder, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway.,Institute of Marine Research, Flødevigen, 4817 His, Norway
| | - Esben M Olsen
- Centre for Coastal Research (CCR), University of Agder, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway.,Institute of Marine Research, Flødevigen, 4817 His, Norway
| | - Anders Ruus
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway.,Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalleen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Dag Ø Hjermann
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalleen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Nils Chr Stenseth
- Centre for Coastal Research (CCR), University of Agder, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway
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10
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Chevalier M, Russell JC, Knape J. New measures for evaluation of environmental perturbations using Before-After-Control-Impact analyses. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01838. [PMID: 30549390 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) designs are powerful tools to derive inferences about environmental perturbations (e.g., hurricanes, restoration programs) when controlled experimental designs are unfeasible. Applications of BACI designs mostly rely on testing for a significant interaction between periods and treatments (so-called BACI contrast) to demonstrate the effects of the perturbation. However, significant interactions can emerge for several reasons, including when changes are larger in control sites, such that additional diagnostics must be performed to determine the full complexity of system changes. We propose two measures that detail the nature of change implied by BACI contrasts, along with its uncertainty. CI-divergence (Control-Impact divergence) quantifies to what extent control and impact sites have diverged between the after and the before period, whereas CI-contribution (Control-Impact contribution) quantifies to what extent the change between periods is stronger in impact sites relative to control sites. To illustrate how these two CI measures can be combined with BACI contrast to gain insights about effects of environmental perturbations, we used count data from the Swedish Breeding Bird Survey to investigate how hurricane Gudrun affected the long-term abundances of four bird species in forested areas of southern Sweden. Before-After-Control-Impact contrasts suggested the hurricane affected all four species. However, the values of the two CI measures strongly differed, even among species showing similar BACI contrasts. Those differences highlight qualitatively distinct population trajectories between periods and treatments requiring different ecological explanations. Overall, we show that BACI contrasts do not provide the full story in assessing the effects of environmental perturbations. The two CI measures can be used to assist ecological interpretations, or to specify detailed hypotheses about effects of restoration actions to allow stronger confirmatory inference about their outcomes. By providing a framework to develop more detailed explanations and hypotheses about ecological changes, the two CI measures can improve conclusions and strengthen evidence of effects of conservation actions and impact assessments under BACI designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Chevalier
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7044, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden
| | - James C Russell
- Department of Statistics, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Jonas Knape
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7044, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden
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11
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Patel S, Homaei A, Patil S, Daverey A. Microbial biosurfactants for oil spill remediation: pitfalls and potentials. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 103:27-37. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9434-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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12
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Won EJ, Lee Y, Gang Y, Kim MS, Kim CJ, Kim HE, Lee KW, Chung CS, Kim K, Lee JS, Shin KH. Chronic adverse effects of oil dispersed sediments on growth, hatching, and reproduction of benthic copepods: Indirect exposure for long-term tests. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 137:225-233. [PMID: 29685328 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Laboratory-scale sediment exposure was conducted as a preliminary study to assess the long-term effects of sediment contaminated with crude oil. For this purpose, indirect exposure using a glass filter crucible was tested and compared with direct exposure by observing several parameters (e.g., mortality, growth, reproduction, hatching, and uptake) in the benthic copepod Tigriopus japonicus. In direct exposure, short-term exposure caused significant damages to the eggs of ovigerous females, and there were difficulties in observing small oil droplets. However, indirect exposure did not induce any mortality during a 96-h exposure in adults. A 10-day exposure was also possible in an indirect exposure method and caused a decrease in reproduction and consequently a reduction in the hatching rate. In fact, the water phase collected from indirect exposure indicated significant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations, although only a few components were present. The components of PAHs were similar to water-accommodated fractions (WAFs) of crude oil that are associated with the water-soluble part, but the relative portion of high-molecular-weight of PAHs was higher than WAF. In this approach, exposure tests caused reduction in the uptake rate in copepods even in the 24-h exposure. In conclusion, the biological effects of oil droplets from direct exposure were excluded by using a glass filter in indirect exposures, and several parameters could be derived in the long-term exposure. These results indicate that the indirect method could likely assess the chronic effects of oil-contaminated sediments on individual level parameters for deriving the ultimate effects on the population and community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Ji Won
- Department of Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea; Department of Marine Science and Convergent Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yeonjung Lee
- Department of Marine Ecosystem & Biological Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea
| | - Yehui Gang
- Department of Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea; Department of Integrated Ocean Sciences, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Seob Kim
- Department of Environmental Measurement & Analysis Center, National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon 22766, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Joon Kim
- Department of Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Eun Kim
- Department of Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyun-Woo Lee
- Department of Marine Ecosystem & Biological Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea; Department of Integrated Ocean Sciences, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Soo Chung
- Department of Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea; Department of Integrated Ocean Sciences, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoungrean Kim
- Department of Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea; Department of Integrated Ocean Sciences, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Seong Lee
- Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Hoon Shin
- Department of Marine Science and Convergent Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
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Oro D, Álvarez D, Velando A. Complex demographic heterogeneity from anthropogenic impacts in a coastal marine predator. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:612-621. [PMID: 29297945 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Environmental drivers, including anthropogenic impacts, affect vital rates of organisms. Nevertheless, the influence of these drivers may depend on the physical features of the habitat and how they affect life history strategies depending on individual covariates such as age and sex. Here, the long-term monitoring (1994-2014) of marked European Shags in eight colonies in two regions with different ecological features, such as foraging habitat, allowed us to test several biological hypotheses about how survival changes by age and sex in each region by means of multi-event capture-recapture modeling. Impacts included fishing practices and bycatch, invasive introduced carnivores and the severe Prestige oil spill. Adult survival was constant but, unexpectedly, it was different between sexes. This difference was opposite in each region. The impact of the oil spill on survival was important only for adults (especially for females) in one region and lasted a single year. Juvenile survival was time dependent but this variability was not synchronized between regions, suggesting a strong signal of regional environmental variability. Mortality due to bycatch was also different between sex, age and region. Interestingly the results showed that the size of the fishing fleet is not necessarily a good proxy for assessing the impact of bycatch mortality, which may be more dependent on the fishing grounds and the fishing gears employed in each season of the year. Anthropogenic impacts affected survival differently by age and sex, which was expected for a long-lived organism with sexual size dimorphism. Strikingly, these differences varied depending on the region, indicating that habitat heterogeneity is demographically important to how environmental variability (including anthropogenic impacts) and resilience influence population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Oro
- Population Ecology Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
- Theoretical Ecology Lab, CEAB (CSIC), Blanes, Spain
| | | | - Alberto Velando
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología Animal, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
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Bembenek Bailey SA, Niemuth JN, McClellan-Green PD, Godfrey MH, Harms CA, Stoskopf MK. 1H-NMR metabolomic study of whole blood from hatchling loggerhead sea turtles ( Caretta caretta) exposed to crude oil and/or Corexit. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:171433. [PMID: 29291126 PMCID: PMC5717701 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We used proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) to evaluate metabolic impacts of environmentally relevant crude oil and Corexit exposures on the physiology of hatchling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Sample extraction and data acquisition methods for very small volume whole blood samples and sources of variation between individual hatchlings were assessed. Sixteen unclotted, whole blood samples were obtained from 7-day-old hatchlings after a 4-day cutaneous exposure to either control seawater, crude oil, Corexit 9500A or a combination of crude oil and Corexit 9500A. After extraction, one- and two-dimensional 1H-NMR spectra of the samples were obtained, and 17 metabolites were identified and confirmed in the whole blood spectra. Variation among samples due to the concentrations of metabolites 3-hydroxybutyrate, lactate, trimethylamine oxide and propylene glycol did not statistically correlate with treatment group. However, the characterization of the hatchling loggerhead whole blood metabolome provides a foundation for future metabolomic research with sea turtles and a basis for the study of tissues from exposed hatchling sea turtles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stasia A. Bembenek Bailey
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
- Environmental Medicine Consortium, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, 3120 Jordan Hall, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Jennifer N. Niemuth
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
- Environmental Medicine Consortium, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, 3120 Jordan Hall, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Patricia D. McClellan-Green
- Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, North Carolina State University, 303 College Circle, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA
| | - Matthew H. Godfrey
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
- Sea Turtle Project, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, 1507 Ann Street, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Lab, 135 Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | - Craig A. Harms
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
- Environmental Medicine Consortium, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, 3120 Jordan Hall, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, North Carolina State University, 303 College Circle, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA
| | - Michael K. Stoskopf
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
- Environmental Medicine Consortium, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, 3120 Jordan Hall, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, North Carolina State University, 303 College Circle, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA
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15
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Ifelebuegu AO, Ukpebor JE, Ahukannah AU, Nnadi EO, Theophilus SC. Environmental effects of crude oil spill on the physicochemical and hydrobiological characteristics of the Nun River, Niger Delta. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2017; 189:173. [PMID: 28321680 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-5882-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Oil spill pollution has remained a source of several international litigations in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. In this paper, we examined the impacts of small recurrent crude oil spills on the physicochemical, microbial and hydrobiological properties of the Nun River, a primary source of drinking water, food and recreational activities for communities in the region. Samples were collected from six sampling points along the stretch of the lower Nun River over a 3-week period. Temperature, pH salinity, turbidity, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, nitrate, heavy metals, BTEX, PAHs and microbial and plankton contents were assessed to ascertain the quality and level of deterioration of the river. The results obtained were compared with the baseline data from studies, national and international standards. The results of the physicochemical parameters indicated a significant deterioration of the river quality due to oil production activities. Turbidity, TDS, TSS, DO, conductivity and heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn) were in breach of the national and international limits for drinking water aquatic health. They were also significantly higher than the initial baseline conditions of the river. Also, there were noticeable changes in the phytoplankton, zooplankton and microbial diversities due to oil pollution across the sampling zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augustine O Ifelebuegu
- School of Energy, Construction and Environment, Coventry University, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK.
| | - Justina E Ukpebor
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | | | - Ernest O Nnadi
- Coventry University, Priory Street, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK
| | - Stephen C Theophilus
- School of Energy, Construction and Environment, Coventry University, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK
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16
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Kellar NM, Speakman TR, Smith CR, Lane SM, Balmer BC, Trego ML, Catelani KN, Robbins MN, Allen CD, Wells RS, Zolman ES, Rowles TK, Schwacke LH. Low reproductive success rates of common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus in the northern Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon disaster (2010-2015). ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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17
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Velando A, Morán P, Romero R, Fernández J, Piorno V. Invasion and eradication of the American mink in the Atlantic Islands National Park (NW Spain): a retrospective analysis. Biol Invasions 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-016-1326-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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18
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Thiault L, Kernaléguen L, Osenberg CW, Claudet J. Progressive‐Change BACIPS: a flexible approach for environmental impact assessment. Methods Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lauric Thiault
- Sorbonne Universités UMMISCO, UMI 209, IRD‐UPMC Bondy 93143 France
- National Center for Scientific Research CRIOBE USR 3278 CNRS‐EPHE‐UPVD Perpignan 66860 France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL France
- Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle PALOC UMR 208 MNHN‐IRD Paris 75231 France
- Centro de Conservación Marina Departamento de Ecología Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Alameda 340, Santiago Chile
| | - Laëtitia Kernaléguen
- Deakin University Geelong Australia School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus) Burwood Vic. Australia
| | | | - Joachim Claudet
- National Center for Scientific Research CRIOBE USR 3278 CNRS‐EPHE‐UPVD Perpignan 66860 France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL France
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19
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Behavioural plasticity in nest-site selection of a colonial seabird in response to an invasive carnivore. Biol Invasions 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-016-1205-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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20
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Lane SM, Smith CR, Mitchell J, Balmer BC, Barry KP, McDonald T, Mori CS, Rosel PE, Rowles TK, Speakman TR, Townsend FI, Tumlin MC, Wells RS, Zolman ES, Schwacke LH. Reproductive outcome and survival of common bottlenose dolphins sampled in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, USA, following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20151944. [PMID: 26538595 PMCID: PMC4650159 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabit bays, sounds and estuaries across the Gulf of Mexico. Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, studies were initiated to assess potential effects on these ecologically important apex predators. A previous study reported disease conditions, including lung disease and impaired stress response, for 32 dolphins that were temporarily captured and given health assessments in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, USA. Ten of the sampled dolphins were determined to be pregnant, with expected due dates the following spring or summer. Here, we report findings after 47 months of follow-up monitoring of those sampled dolphins. Only 20% (95% CI: 2.50–55.6%) of the pregnant dolphins produced viable calves, as compared with a previously reported pregnancy success rate of 83% in a reference population. Fifty-seven per cent of pregnant females that did not successfully produce a calf had been previously diagnosed with moderate–severe lung disease. In addition, the estimated annual survival rate of the sampled cohort was low (86.8%, 95% CI: 80.0–92.7%) as compared with survival rates of 95.1% and 96.2% from two other previously studied bottlenose dolphin populations. Our findings confirm low reproductive success and high mortality in dolphins from a heavily oiled estuary when compared with other populations. Follow-up studies are needed to better understand the potential recovery of dolphins in Barataria Bay and, by extension, other Gulf coastal regions impacted by the spill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne M Lane
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA
| | | | | | - Brian C Balmer
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA Chicago Zoological Society, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | - Kevin P Barry
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pascagoula, MS, USA
| | | | | | - Patricia E Rosel
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Lafayette, LA, USA
| | - Teresa K Rowles
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Todd R Speakman
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA
| | | | - Mandy C Tumlin
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Randall S Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | - Eric S Zolman
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Lori H Schwacke
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA
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21
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Renner M, Kuletz KJ. A spatial-seasonal analysis of the oiling risk from shipping traffic to seabirds in the Aleutian Archipelago. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2015; 101:127-136. [PMID: 26602441 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Revised: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Some of the largest seabird concentrations in the northern hemisphere are intersected by major shipping routes in the Aleutian Archipelago. Risk is the product of the probability and the severity incidents in an area. We build a seasonally explicit model of seabird distribution and combine the densities of seabirds with an oil vulnerability index. We use shipping density, as a proxy for the probability of oil spills from shipping accident (or the intensity chronic oil pollution). We find high-risk (above-average seabird and vessel density) areas around Unimak Pass, south of the Alaska Peninsula, near Buldir Island, and north of Attu Island. Risk to seabirds is greater during summer than during winter, but the month of peak risk (May/July) varies depending on how data is analyzed. The area around Unimak Pass stands out for being at high-risk year-round, whereas passes in the western Aleutians are at high risk mostly during summer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Renner
- Tern Again Consulting, 811 Ocean Drive Loop, Homer, AK 99603, USA.
| | - Kathy J Kuletz
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Management, 1011 E. Tudor Rd., Anchorage, AK 99503, USA
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22
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Acosta-González A, Martirani-von Abercron SM, Rosselló-Móra R, Wittich RM, Marqués S. The effect of oil spills on the bacterial diversity and catabolic function in coastal sediments: a case study on the Prestige oil spill. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 22:15200-14. [PMID: 25869434 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-4458-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The accident of the Prestige oil tanker in 2002 contaminated approximately 900 km of the coastline along the northern Spanish shore, as well as parts of Portugal and France coast, with a mixture of heavy crude oil consisting of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alkanes, asphaltenes and resins. The capacity of the autochthonous bacterial communities to respond to the oil spill was assessed indirectly by determining the hydrocarbon profiles of weathered oil samples collected along the shore, as well as through isotope ratios of seawater-dissolved CO2, and directly by analyses of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprints and 16S rRNA gene libraries. Overall, the results evidenced biodegradation of crude oil components mediated by natural bacterial communities, with a bias towards lighter and less substituted compounds. The changes observed in the Proteobacteria, the most abundant phylum in marine sediments, were related to the metabolic profiles of the sediment. The presence of crude oil in the supratidal and intertidal zones increased the abundance of Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria, dominated by the groups Sphingomonadaceae, Rhodobacteraceae and Chromatiales, whilst Gamma- and Deltaproteobacteria were more relevant in subtidal zones. The phylum Actinobacteria, and particularly the genus Rhodococcus, was a key player in the microbial response to the spill, especially in the degradation of the alkane fraction. The addition of inorganic fertilizers enhanced total biodegradation rates, suggesting that, in these environments, nutrients were insufficient to support significant growth after the huge increase in carbon sources, as evidenced in other spills. The presence of bacterial communities able to respond to a massive oil input in this area was consistent with the important history of pollution of the region by crude oil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Acosta-González
- Department of Environmental Protection, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008, Granada, Spain
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de La Sabana, Autopista Norte km 7, Chía, Cundinamarca, Colombia
| | - Sophie-Marie Martirani-von Abercron
- Department of Environmental Protection, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008, Granada, Spain
| | - Ramon Rosselló-Móra
- Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB, C/. Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Regina-Michaela Wittich
- Department of Environmental Protection, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008, Granada, Spain
| | - Silvia Marqués
- Department of Environmental Protection, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008, Granada, Spain.
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Ohlberger J, Langangen Ø. Population resilience to catastrophic mortality events during early life stages. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 25:1348-1356. [PMID: 26485960 DOI: 10.1890/14-1534.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Catastrophic mortality events that drastically reduce the abundance of a population or a particular life stage can have long-term ecological and economic effects, and are of great concern in species conservation and management. Severe die-offs may be caused by natural catastrophes such as disease outbreaks and extreme climates, or human-caused disturbances such as toxic spills. Forecasting potential impacts of such disturbances is difficult and highly uncertain due to unknown future conditions, including population status and environmental conditions at the time of impact. Here, we present a framework for quantifying the range of potential, population-level effects of catastrophic events based on a hindcasting approach. A dynamic population model with Bayesian parameter estimation is used to simulate the impact of severe (50-99%) mortality events during the early life stages of Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua), an abundant marine fish population of high economic value. We quantify the impact of such die-offs in terms of subsequent changes in population biomass and harvest through direct comparison of simulated and historical trends, and estimate the duration of the impact as a measure of population resilience. Our results demonstrate strong resilience to catastrophic events that affect early life stages owing to density dependence in survival and a broad population age structure. Yet, while population recovery is. relatively fast, losses in harvest and economic value can be substantial. Future research efforts should focus on long-term and indirect effects via food web interactions in order to better understand the ecological and economic ramifications of catastrophic mortality events.
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24
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Velando A, Barros Á, Moran P. Heterozygosity-fitness correlations in a declining seabird population. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:1007-18. [PMID: 25626726 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2014] [Revised: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Loss of genetic diversity is thought to lead to increased risk of extinction in endangered populations due to decreasing fitness of homozygous individuals. Here, we evaluated the presence of inbreeding depression in a long-lived seabird, the European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), after a severe decline in population size by nearly 70%. During three reproductive seasons, 85 breeders were captured and genotyped at seven microsatellite loci. Nest sites were monitored during the breeding season to estimate reproductive success as the number of chicks surviving to full-size-grown per nest. Captured birds were tagged with a ring with an individual code, and resighting data were collected during 7-year period. We found a strong effect of multilocus heterozygosity on female reproductive performance, and a significant, although weaker, effect on breeder survival. However, our matrix population model suggests that this relatively small effect of genetic diversity on breeder survival may have a profound effect on fitness. This highlights the importance of integrating life history consequences in HFC studies. Importantly, heterozygosity was correlated across loci, suggesting that genomewide effects, rather than single loci, are responsible for the observed HFCs. Overall, the HFCs are a worrying symptom of genetic erosion in this declining population. Many long-lived species are prone to extinction, and future studies should evaluate the magnitude of fitness impact of genetic deterioration on key population parameters, such as survival of breeders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Velando
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, Campus As Lagoas, 36310, Vigo, Spain
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25
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Kaplan M. Bird reproduction collapsed after oil spill. Nature 2014. [DOI: 10.1038/nature.2014.15130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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