1
|
McDonald AM, Martin CW, Rieucau G, Roberts BJ. Prior exposure to weathered oil influences foraging of an ecologically important saltmarsh resident fish. PeerJ 2022; 9:e12593. [PMID: 35036127 PMCID: PMC8742545 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Estuarine ecosystem balance typically relies on strong food web interconnectedness dependent on a relatively low number of resident taxa, presenting a potential ecological vulnerability to extreme ecosystem disturbances. Following the Deepwater Horizon (DwH) oil spill disaster of the northern Gulf of Mexico (USA), numerous ecotoxicological studies showed severe species-level impacts of oil exposure on estuarine fish and invertebrates, yet post-spill surveys found little evidence for severe impacts to coastal populations, communities, or food webs. The acknowledgement that several confounding factors may have limited researchers’ abilities to detect negative ecosystem-level impacts following the DwH spill drives the need for direct testing of weathered oil exposure effects on estuarine residents with high trophic connectivity. Here, we describe an experiment that examined the influence of previous exposure to four weathered oil concentrations (control: 0.0 L oil m−2; low: 0.1 L oil m−2; moderate: 0.5–1 L oil m−2; high: 3.0 L oil m−2) on foraging rates of the ecologically important Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis). Following exposure in oiled saltmarsh mesocosms, killifish were allowed to forage on grass shrimp (Palaeomonetes pugio) for up to 21 h. We found that previous exposure to the high oil treatment reduced killifish foraging rate by ~37% on average, compared with no oil control treatment. Previous exposure to the moderate oil treatment showed highly variable foraging rate responses, while low exposure treatment was similar to unexposed responses. Declining foraging rate responses to previous high weathered oil exposure suggests potential oil spill influence on energy transfer between saltmarsh and off-marsh systems. Additionally, foraging rate variability at the moderate level highlights the large degree of intraspecific variability for this sublethal response and indicates this concentration represents a potential threshold of oil exposure influence on killifish foraging. We also found that consumption of gravid vs non-gravid shrimp was not independent of prior oil exposure concentration, as high oil exposure treatment killifish consumed ~3× more gravid shrimp than expected. Our study findings highlight the sublethal effects of prior oil exposure on foraging abilities of ecologically valuable Gulf killifish at realistic oil exposure levels, suggesting that important trophic transfers of energy to off-marsh systems may have been impacted, at least in the short-term, by shoreline oiling at highly localized scales. This study provides support for further experimental testing of oil exposure effects on sublethal behavioral impacts of ecologically important estuarine species, due to the likelihood that some ecological ramifications of DwH on saltmarshes likely went undetected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M McDonald
- UF
- IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida, Cedar Key, Florida, United States
| | - Charles W Martin
- UF
- IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida, Cedar Key, Florida, United States
| | - Guillaume Rieucau
- Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Chauvin, Louisiana, United States
| | - Brian J Roberts
- Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Chauvin, Louisiana, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Swinea SH, Fodrie FJ. Gulf fisheries supported resilience in the decade following unparalleled oiling. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Savannah H. Swinea
- Institute of Marine Sciences University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Morehead City North Carolina 28557 USA
| | - F. Joel Fodrie
- Institute of Marine Sciences University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Morehead City North Carolina 28557 USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Martin CW, McDonald AM, Rieucau G, Roberts BJ. Previous oil exposure alters Gulf Killifish Fundulus grandis oil avoidance behavior. PeerJ 2021; 8:e10587. [PMID: 33384905 PMCID: PMC7751417 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Oil spills threaten the structure and function of ecological communities. The Deepwater Horizon spill was predicted to have catastrophic consequences for nearshore fishes, but field studies indicate resilience in populations and communities. Previous research indicates many marsh fishes exhibit avoidance of oil contaminated areas, representing one potential mechanism for this resilience. Here, we test whether prior oil exposure of Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis alters this avoidance response. Using choice tests between unoiled and oiled sediments at one of three randomized concentrations (low: 0.1 L oil m-2, medium: 0.5 L oil m-2, or high: 3.0 L oil m-2), we found that, even at low prior exposure levels, killifish lose recognition of oiled sediments compared to control, unexposed fish. Preference for unoiled sediments was absent across all oil concentrations after oil exposure, and some evidence for preference of oiled sediments at high exposure was demonstrated. These results highlight the lack of response to toxic environments in exposed individuals, indicating altered behavior despite organism survival. Future research should document additional sublethal consequences that affect ecosystem and food web functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles W Martin
- UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida, Cedar Key, FL, United States of America
| | - Ashley M McDonald
- UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida, Cedar Key, FL, United States of America
| | - Guillaume Rieucau
- Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Chauvin, LA, United States of America
| | - Brian J Roberts
- Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Chauvin, LA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hook SE. Beyond Thresholds: A Holistic Approach to Impact Assessment Is Needed to Enable Accurate Predictions of Environmental Risk from Oil Spills. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2020; 16:813-830. [PMID: 32729983 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The risk assessment for the environmental impact of oil spills in Australia is often conducted in part using a combination of spill mapping and toxicological thresholds derived from laboratory studies. While this process is useful in planning operational responses, such as where to position equipment stockpiles and whether to disperse oil, and can be used to identify areas near the spill site where impacts are likely to occur, it cannot accurately predict the environmental consequences of an oil spill or the ecosystem recovery times. Evidence of this disconnect between model predictions and observed impacts is the lack of a profound effect of the Deepwater Horizon wellhead blowout on recruitment to fisheries in the northern Gulf of Mexico, contrary to the predictions made in the Natural Resources Damage Assessment and despite the occurrence of impacts of the spill on marine mammals, marshes, and deep water ecosystems. The incongruity between predictions made with the current approach using threshold monitoring and impacts measured in the field results from some of the assumptions included in the oil spill models. The incorrect assumptions include that toxicity is acute, results from dissolved phase exposure, and would be readily reversible. The toxicity tests from which threshold models are derived use members of the ecosystem that are easily studied in the lab but may not represent the ecosystem as a whole. The test species are typically highly abundant plankton or planktonic life stages, and they have life histories that account for rapid changes in environmental conditions. As a consequence, these organisms recover quickly from an oil spill. The interdependence of ecosystem components, including the reliance of organisms on their microbiomes, is often overlooked. Additional research to assess these data gaps conducted using economically and ecologically relevant species, especially in Australia and other understudied areas of the world, and the use of population dynamic models, will improve the accuracy of environmental risk assessment for oil spills. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:813-830. © 2020 SETAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sharon E Hook
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Martin CW, Lewis KA, McDonald AM, Spearman TP, Alford SB, Christian RC, Valentine JF. Disturbance-driven changes to northern Gulf of Mexico nekton communities following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 155:111098. [PMID: 32469757 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DwH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico discharged ~3.19 million barrels of oil into Gulf waters, making it one of the largest marine disasters in history in terms of volume. We report on the results of a study to assess oil impacts to coastal fishes and invertebrates. Using two-decades of fisheries-independent data in coastal Alabama and Mississippi, we document variability following both natural and anthropogenic disturbances from two periods pre-DwH (1997-2001 and 2007-2009), one intra-spill period for acute DwH effects (2010-2012) and one period post-spill for chronic, longer-term impacts (2014-2017). Results indicated significant changes to community structure, relative abundance, and diversity in the intra-spill period. Causation for changes is confounded by variables such as behavioral emigration, altered freshwater inflow, death of consumers, and the mandated fishery closure. Results highlight the need for long-term, comprehensive monitoring/observing systems to provide adequate background for assessing future disturbances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles W Martin
- Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 552 1st Street, Cedar Key, FL 32625, United States of America.
| | - Kristy A Lewis
- Department of Biology and The National Center for Integrated Coastal Research, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, United States of America
| | - Ashley M McDonald
- Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 552 1st Street, Cedar Key, FL 32625, United States of America
| | - Trey P Spearman
- Department of Marine Science, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, United States of America
| | - Scott B Alford
- Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 552 1st Street, Cedar Key, FL 32625, United States of America; Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101 Bienville Boulevard, Dauphin Island, AL 36528, United States of America
| | - Robert C Christian
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, United States of America
| | - John F Valentine
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101 Bienville Boulevard, Dauphin Island, AL 36528, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ward EJ, Oken KL, Rose KA, Sable S, Watkins K, Holmes EE, Scheuerell MD. Applying spatiotemporal models to monitoring data to quantify fish population responses to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2018; 190:530. [PMID: 30121848 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-018-6912-z] [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: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying the impacts of disturbances such as oil spills on marine species can be challenging. Natural environmental variability, human responses to the disturbance (e.g., fisheries closures), the complex life histories of the species being monitored, and limited pre-spill data can make detection of effects of oil spills difficult. Using long-term monitoring data from the state of Louisiana (USA), we applied novel spatiotemporal approaches to identify anomalies in species occurrence and catch rates. We included covariates (salinity, temperature, turbidity) to help isolate unusual events. While some species showed evidence of unlikely temporal anomalies in occurrence or catch rates, we found that the majority of the observed anomalies were also before the Deepwater Horizon event. Several species-gear combinations suggested upticks in the spatial variability immediately following the spill, but most species indicated no trend. Across species-gear combinations, there was no clear evidence for synchronous or asynchronous responses in occurrence or catch rates across sites following the spill. Our results are in general agreement to other analyses of monitoring data that detected small impacts, but in contrast to recent results from ecological modeling that showed much larger effects of the oil spill on fish and shellfish.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Ward
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Blvd E, Seattle, WA, 98112, USA.
| | - Kiva L Oken
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, 71 Dudley Rd, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Kenneth A Rose
- Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, PO Box 775, Cambridge, MD, 21613, USA
| | - Shaye Sable
- Dynamic Solutions, LLC, 450 Laurel Street, Suite 1650, Baton Rouge, LA, 70801, USA
| | - Katherine Watkins
- Dynamic Solutions, LLC, 450 Laurel Street, Suite 1650, Baton Rouge, LA, 70801, USA
| | - Elizabeth E Holmes
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Blvd E, Seattle, WA, 98112, USA
| | - Mark D Scheuerell
- Fish Ecology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Blvd E, Seattle, WA, 98112, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Blancher EC, Park RA, Clough JS, Milroy SP, Graham WM, Rakocinski CF, Hendon JR, Wiggert JD, Leaf R. Establishing nearshore marine secondary productivity baseline estimates for multiple habitats in coastal Mississippi and Alabama using AQUATOX 3.1 NME for use in the Deepwater Horizon natural resource damage assessment. Ecol Modell 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
8
|
Bayha KM, Ortell N, Ryan CN, Griffitt KJ, Krasnec M, Sena J, Ramaraj T, Takeshita R, Mayer GD, Schilkey F, Griffitt RJ. Crude oil impairs immune function and increases susceptibility to pathogenic bacteria in southern flounder. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176559. [PMID: 28464028 PMCID: PMC5413019 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to crude oil or its individual constituents can have detrimental impacts on fish species, including impairment of the immune response. Increased observations of skin lesions in northern Gulf of Mexico fish during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill indicated the possibility of oil-induced immunocompromisation resulting in bacterial or viral infection. This study used a full factorial design of oil exposure and bacterial challenge to examine how oil exposure impairs southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) immune function and increases susceptibility to the bacteria Vibrio anguillarum, a causative agent of vibriosis. Fish exposed to oil prior to bacterial challenge exhibited 94.4% mortality within 48 hours of bacterial exposure. Flounder challenged with V. anguillarum without prior oil exposure had <10% mortality. Exposure resulted in taxonomically distinct gill and intestine bacterial communities. Mortality strongly correlated with V. anguillarum levels, where it comprised a significantly higher percentage of the microbiome in Oil/Pathogen challenged fish and was nearly non-existent in the No Oil/Pathogen challenged fish bacterial community. Elevated V. anguillarum levels were a direct result of oil exposure-induced immunosuppression. Oil-exposure reduced expression of immunoglobulin M, the major systemic fish antibody, and resulted in an overall downregulation in transcriptome response, particularly in genes related to immune function, response to stimulus and hemostasis. Ultimately, sediment-borne oil exposure impairs immune function, leading to increased incidences of bacterial infections. This type of sediment-borne exposure may result in long-term marine ecosystem effects, as oil-bound sediment in the northern Gulf of Mexico will likely remain a contamination source for years to come.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keith M. Bayha
- Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, School of Ocean Science and Technology, University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - Natalie Ortell
- Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, School of Ocean Science and Technology, University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - Caitlin N. Ryan
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kimberly J. Griffitt
- Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, School of Ocean Science and Technology, University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - Michelle Krasnec
- Abt Associates, Suite 201, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Johnny Sena
- National Center for Genome Resources, 2935 Rodeo Park Dr E, Santa Fe, NM, United States of America
| | - Thiruvarangan Ramaraj
- National Center for Genome Resources, 2935 Rodeo Park Dr E, Santa Fe, NM, United States of America
| | - Ryan Takeshita
- Abt Associates, Suite 201, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Gregory D. Mayer
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Faye Schilkey
- National Center for Genome Resources, 2935 Rodeo Park Dr E, Santa Fe, NM, United States of America
| | - Robert J. Griffitt
- Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, School of Ocean Science and Technology, University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Peterson CT, Grubbs RD, Mickle A. An Investigation of Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Coastal Fishes in the Florida Big Bend Using Fishery-Independent Surveys and Stable Isotope Analysis. SOUTHEAST NAT 2017. [DOI: 10.1656/058.016.0101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - R. Dean Grubbs
- Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, 3618 Highway 98, St. Teresa, FL 32358
| | - Alejandra Mickle
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, DWH NRDAR Field Office, 341 Greeno Road North, Suite A, Fairhope, AL 36532
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
López-Duarte PC, Fodrie FJ, Jensen OP, Whitehead A, Galvez F, Dubansky B, Able KW. Is Exposure to Macondo Oil Reflected in the Otolith Chemistry of Marsh-Resident Fish? PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162699. [PMID: 27682216 PMCID: PMC5040417 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic and physiological responses in Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) in the northern Gulf of Mexico have confirmed oil exposure of resident marsh fish following the Macondo blowout in 2010. Using these same fish, we evaluated otolith microchemistry as a method for assessing oil exposure history. Laser-ablation inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry was used to analyze the chemical composition of sagittal otoliths to assess whether a trace metal signature could be detected in the otoliths of F. grandis collected from a Macondo-oil impacted site in 2010, post-spill relative to pre-spill, as well as versus fish from areas not impacted by the spill. We found no evidence of increased concentrations of two elements associated with oil contamination (nickel and vanadium) in F. grandis otoliths regardless of Macondo oil exposure history. One potential explanation for this is that Macondo oil is relatively depleted of those metals compared to other crude oils globally. During and after the spill, however, elevated levels of barium, lead, and to a lesser degree, copper were detected in killifish otoliths at the oil-impacted collection site in coastal Louisiana. This may reflect oil contact or other environmental perturbations that occurred concomitant with oiling. For example, increases in barium in otoliths from oil-exposed fish followed (temporally) freshwater diversions in Louisiana in 2010. This implicates (but does not conclusively demonstrate) freshwater diversions from the Mississippi River (with previously recorded higher concentrations of lead and copper), designed to halt the ingress of oil, as a mechanism for elevated elemental uptake in otoliths of Louisiana marsh fishes. These results highlight the potentially complex and indirect effects of the Macondo oil spill and human responses to it on Gulf of Mexico ecosystems, and emphasize the need to consider the multiple stressors acting simultaneously on inshore fish communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola C. López-Duarte
- Rutgers University Marine Field Station, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Tuckerton, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - F. Joel Fodrie
- Institute of Marine Sciences & Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Olaf P. Jensen
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Andrew Whitehead
- Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Fernando Galvez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Benjamin Dubansky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kenneth W. Able
- Rutgers University Marine Field Station, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Tuckerton, New Jersey, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Beyer J, Trannum HC, Bakke T, Hodson PV, Collier TK. Environmental effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: A review. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 110:28-51. [PMID: 27301686 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Revised: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill constituted an ecosystem-level injury in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Much oil spread at 1100-1300m depth, contaminating and affecting deepwater habitats. Factors such as oil-biodegradation, ocean currents and response measures (dispersants, burning) reduced coastal oiling. Still, >2100km of shoreline and many coastal habitats were affected. Research demonstrates that oiling caused a wide range of biological effects, although worst-case impact scenarios did not materialize. Biomarkers in individual organisms were more informative about oiling stress than population and community indices. Salt marshes and seabird populations were hard hit, but were also quite resilient to oiling effects. Monitoring demonstrated little contamination of seafood. Certain impacts are still understudied, such as effects on seagrass communities. Concerns of long-term impacts remain for large fish species, deep-sea corals, sea turtles and cetaceans. These species and their habitats should continue to receive attention (monitoring and research) for years to come.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonny Beyer
- NIVA - Norwegian Institute for Water Research, NO-0349, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hilde C Trannum
- NIVA - Norwegian Institute for Water Research, NO-0349, Oslo, Norway
| | - Torgeir Bakke
- NIVA - Norwegian Institute for Water Research, NO-0349, Oslo, Norway
| | - Peter V Hodson
- School of Environmental Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Tracy K Collier
- Delta Independent Science Board, 980 Ninth Street, Suite 1500, Sacramento, CA 95814, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Gittman RK, Scyphers SB, Smith CS, Neylan IP, Grabowski JH. Ecological Consequences of Shoreline Hardening: A Meta-Analysis. Bioscience 2016; 66:763-773. [PMID: 28533564 PMCID: PMC5421310 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biw091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Protecting coastal communities has become increasingly important as their populations grow, resulting in increased demand for engineered shore protection and hardening of over 50% of many urban shorelines. Shoreline hardening is recognized to reduce ecosystem services that coastal populations rely on, but the amount of hardened coastline continues to grow in many ecologically important coastal regions. Therefore, to inform future management decisions, we conducted a meta-analysis of studies comparing the ecosystem services of biodiversity (richness or diversity) and habitat provisioning (organism abundance) along shorelines with versus without engineered-shore structures. Seawalls supported 23% lower biodiversity and 45% fewer organisms than natural shorelines. In contrast, biodiversity and abundance supported by riprap or breakwater shorelines were not different from natural shorelines; however, effect sizes were highly heterogeneous across organism groups and studies. As coastal development increases, the type and location of shoreline hardening could greatly affect the habitat value and functioning of nearshore ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel K Gittman
- Rachel K. Gittman , Steven B. Scyphers, and Jonathan H. Grabowski are affiliated with the Marine Science Center at Northeastern University, in Nahant, Massachusetts. Carter S. Smith and Isabelle P. Neylan are affiliated with the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in Morehead City
| | - Steven B Scyphers
- Rachel K. Gittman , Steven B. Scyphers, and Jonathan H. Grabowski are affiliated with the Marine Science Center at Northeastern University, in Nahant, Massachusetts. Carter S. Smith and Isabelle P. Neylan are affiliated with the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in Morehead City
| | - Carter S Smith
- Rachel K. Gittman , Steven B. Scyphers, and Jonathan H. Grabowski are affiliated with the Marine Science Center at Northeastern University, in Nahant, Massachusetts. Carter S. Smith and Isabelle P. Neylan are affiliated with the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in Morehead City
| | - Isabelle P Neylan
- Rachel K. Gittman , Steven B. Scyphers, and Jonathan H. Grabowski are affiliated with the Marine Science Center at Northeastern University, in Nahant, Massachusetts. Carter S. Smith and Isabelle P. Neylan are affiliated with the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in Morehead City
| | - Jonathan H Grabowski
- Rachel K. Gittman , Steven B. Scyphers, and Jonathan H. Grabowski are affiliated with the Marine Science Center at Northeastern University, in Nahant, Massachusetts. Carter S. Smith and Isabelle P. Neylan are affiliated with the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in Morehead City
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Grey EK, Chiasson SC, Williams HG, Troeger VJ, Taylor CM. Evaluation of Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus, Megalopal Settlement and Condition during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135791. [PMID: 26270970 PMCID: PMC4535880 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus, is a commercially, culturally, and ecologically significant species in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), whose offshore stages were likely impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWH). To test for DWH effects and to better understand the planktonic ecology of this species, we monitored Callinectes spp. megalopal settlement and condition at sites within and outside of the spill extent during and one year after the DWH. We tested for DWH effects by comparing 2010 settlement against baseline data available for two sites, and by testing for differences in settlement and condition inside and outside of the spill extent. We also developed time series models to better understand natural drivers of daily settlement variation (seasonal and lunar trends, hydrodynamics, wind) during 2010 and 2011. Overall, we found that neither megalopal settlement nor body weight were significantly reduced at oiled sites, but that high unexplained variation and low statistical power made detection of even large effects unlikely. Time series models revealed remarkably consistent and relatively strong seasonal and lunar trends within sites (explaining on average 28% and 9% of variation, respectively), while wind and hydrodynamic effects were weak (1–5% variation explained) and variable among sites. This study provides insights into DWH impacts as well as the natural drivers of Callinectes spp. megalopal settlement across the northern GOM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin K. Grey
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Sciences, Governors State University, University Park, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Susan C. Chiasson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Hannah G. Williams
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Victoria J. Troeger
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Caz M. Taylor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Yednock BK, Sullivan TJ, Neigel JE. De novo assembly of a transcriptome from juvenile blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) following exposure to surrogate Macondo crude oil. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:521. [PMID: 26162747 PMCID: PMC4499174 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1739-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, is economically and ecologically important in western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastal estuaries. In 2010 blue crabs in the northern Gulf of Mexico were exposed to crude oil and chemical dispersants from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. To characterize the blue crab transcriptome and identify genes that could be regulated in response to oil exposure we sequenced transcriptomes from hepatopancreas and gill tissues of juvenile blue crabs after exposing them to a water-accommodated fraction of surrogate Macondo crude oil in the laboratory and compared them to transcriptomes from an unexposed control group. Results Illumina sequencing provided 42.5 million paired-end sequencing reads for the control group and 44.9 million paired-end reads for the treatment group. From these, 73,473 transcripts and 52,663 genes were assembled. Comparison of control and treatment transcriptomes revealed about 100 genes from each tissue type that were differentially expressed. However, a much larger number of transcripts, approximately 2000 from each tissue type, were differentially expressed. Several examples of alternatively spliced transcripts were verified by qPCR, some of which showed significantly different expression patterns. The combined transcriptome from all tissues and individuals was annotated to assign putative gene products to both major gene ontology categories as well as specific roles in responses to cold and heat, metabolism of xenobiotic compounds, defence, hypoxia, osmoregulation and ecdysis. Among the annotations for upregulated and alternatively-spliced genes were candidates for the metabolism of oil-derived compounds. Conclusions Previously, few genomic resources were available for blue crabs or related brachyuran crabs. The transcriptome sequences reported here represent a major new resource for research on the biology of blue crabs. These sequences can be used for studies of differential gene expression or as a source of genetic markers. Genes identified and annotated in this study include candidates for responses of the blue crab to xenobiotic compounds, which could serve as biomarkers for oil exposure. Changes in gene expression also suggest other physiological changes that may occur as the result of exposure to oil. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1739-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bree K Yednock
- South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Charleston, OR, USA.
| | - Timothy J Sullivan
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, USA.
| | - Joseph E Neigel
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Michaelsen S, Schaefer J, Peterson MS. Fluctuating asymmetry in Menidia beryllina before and after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118742. [PMID: 25714356 PMCID: PMC4340943 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessing the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill with a dependable baseline comparison can provide reliable insight into environmental stressors on organisms that were potentially affected by the spill. Fluctuating asymmetry (small, non-random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry) is an informative metric sensitive to contaminants that can be used to assess environmental stress levels. For this study, the well-studied and common Gulf of Mexico estuarine fish, Menidia beryllina, was used with pre and post-oil spill collections. Comparisons of fluctuating asymmetry in three traits (eye diameter, pectoral fin length, and pelvic fin length) were made pre and post-oil spill across two sites (Old Fort Bayou and the Pascagoula River), as well as between years of collection (2011, 2012)-one and two years, respectfully, after the spill in 2010. We hypothesized that fluctuating asymmetry would be higher in post-Deepwater Horizon samples, and that this will be replicated in both study areas along the Mississippi Gulf coast. We also predicted that fluctuating asymmetry would decrease through time after the oil spill as the oil decomposed and/or was removed. Analyses performed on 1135 fish (220 pre and 915 post Deepwater Horizon) showed significantly higher post spill fluctuating asymmetry in the eye but no difference for the pectoral or pelvic fins. There was also higher fluctuating asymmetry in one of the two sites both pre and post-spill, indicating observed asymmetry may be the product of multiple stressors. Fluctuating asymmetry decreased in 2012 compared to 2011. Fluctuating asymmetry is a sensitive measure of sub lethal stress, and the observed variability in this study (pre vs. post-spill or between sites) could be due to a combination of oil, dispersants, or other unknown stressors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Savannah Michaelsen
- University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Biological Sciences, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, United States of America; Southeastern Louisiana University, Department of Biological Sciences, Hammond, LA, 70402, United States of America
| | - Jacob Schaefer
- University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Biological Sciences, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, United States of America
| | - Mark S Peterson
- University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Coastal Sciences, Ocean Springs, MS, 39564, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Raimondo S, Jackson CR, Krzykwa J, Hemmer BL, Awkerman JA, Barron MG. Developmental toxicity of Louisiana crude oil-spiked sediment to zebrafish. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2014; 108:265-272. [PMID: 25105486 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2014.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Revised: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Embryonic exposures to the components of petroleum, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), cause a characteristic suite of developmental defects and cardiotoxicity in a variety of fish species. We exposed zebrafish embryos to reference sediment mixed with laboratory weathered South Louisiana crude oil and to sediment collected from an oiled site in Barataria Bay, Louisiana in December 2010. Laboratory oiled sediment exposures caused a reproducible set of developmental malformations in zebrafish embryos including yolk sac and pericardial edema, craniofacial and spinal defects, and tissue degeneration. Dose-response studies with spiked sediment showed that total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (tPAH) concentrations of 27mg tPAH/kg (dry weight normalized to 1 percent organic carbon [1 percent OC]) caused a significant increase in defects, and concentrations above 78mg tPAH/kg 1 percent OC caused nearly complete embryo mortality. No toxicity was observed in Barataria sediment with 2mg tPAH/kg 1 percent OC. Laboratory aging of spiked sediment at 4°C resulted in a nearly 10-fold decrease in sensitivity over a 40-day period. This study demonstrates oiled sediment as an exposure pathway to fish with dose-dependent effects on embryogenesis that are consistent with PAH mechanisms of developmental toxicity. The results have implications for effects on estuarine fish from oiled coastal areas during the Deepwater Horizon spill.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandy Raimondo
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Ecology Division, 1 Sabine Island Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, USA.
| | - Crystal R Jackson
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Ecology Division, 1 Sabine Island Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, USA
| | - Julie Krzykwa
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Ecology Division, 1 Sabine Island Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, USA
| | - Becky L Hemmer
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Ecology Division, 1 Sabine Island Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, USA
| | - Jill A Awkerman
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Ecology Division, 1 Sabine Island Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, USA
| | - Mace G Barron
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Ecology Division, 1 Sabine Island Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Fodrie FJ, Able KW, Galvez F, Heck KL, Jensen OP, López-Duarte PC, Martin CW, Turner RE, Whitehead A. Integrating Organismal and Population Responses of Estuarine Fishes in Macondo Spill Research. Bioscience 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biu123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
|
18
|
Dubansky B, Whitehead A, Rice CD, Galvez F. Response to comment on "multi-tissue molecular, genomic, and developmental effects of the deepwater horizon oil spill on resident Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis)". ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:7679-7680. [PMID: 24946222 DOI: 10.1021/es501185a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Dubansky
- University of North Texas , Department of Biological Sciences, Developmental Integrative Biology Research Cluster, 225B Life Sciences Building, Denton, Texas 76203, United States
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Pearson WH. Comment on "multitissue molecular, genomic, and developmental effects of the deepwater horizon oil spill on resident Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis)". ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:7677-7678. [PMID: 24946159 DOI: 10.1021/es405220v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Walter H Pearson
- Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. 2321 Club Meridian Drive Suite E, Okemos, Michigan 48864, United States
| |
Collapse
|