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Plafcan MM, Schwing PT, Romero IC, Brooks GR, Larson RA, O'Malley BJ, Stallings CD. Benthic foraminifera in Gulf of Mexico show temporal and spatial dynamics of microplastics. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 200:116090. [PMID: 38316101 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116090] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics have accumulated in the environment since plastic production began, with present-day observations that range from marine trenches to mountains. However, research on microplastics has only recently begun so it is unclear how they have changed over time in many oceanic regions. Our study addressed this gap by quantifying the temporal and spatial dynamics of microplastics in two deep-water regions of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). We isolated agglutinated foraminifera from sediment cores and assessed microplastics that were incorporated into their tests. Our results indicated that microplastics were incorporated by agglutinated foraminifera after plastic production began. Microplastics were higher at deep-water sites and closer to the Mississippi River. This study confirms the presence of microplastic incorporation into agglutinated foraminifera tests and investigates microplastics in deep-water sediments in the GOM. Additional work is needed to fully identify the distribution of microplastics across the GOM and other oceanic basins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina M Plafcan
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, 830 1st St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA.
| | | | - Isabel C Romero
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, 830 1st St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA.
| | - Gregg R Brooks
- Eckerd College, 4200 54th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33711, USA.
| | | | | | - Christopher D Stallings
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, 830 1st St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA.
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2
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Persistent reshaping of cohesive sediment towards stable flocs by turbulence. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1760. [PMID: 36720997 PMCID: PMC9889388 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28960-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cohesive sediment forms flocs of various sizes and structures in the natural turbulent environment. Understanding flocculation is critical in accurately predicting sediment transport and biogeochemical cycles. In addition to aggregation and breakup, turbulence also reshapes flocs toward more stable structures. An Eulerian-Lagrangian framework has been implemented to investigate the effect of turbulence on flocculation by capturing the time-evolution of individual flocs. We have identified two floc reshaping mechanisms, namely breakage-regrowth and restructuring by hydrodynamic drag. Surface erosion is found to be the primary breakup mechanism for strong flocs, while fragile flocs tend to split into fragments of similar sizes. Aggregation of flocs of sizes comparable to or greater than the Kolmogorov scale is modulated by turbulence with lower aggregation efficiency. Our findings highlight the limiting effects of turbulence on both floc size and structure.
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3
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Dornberger LN, Montagna PA, Ainsworth CH. Simulating oil-driven abundance changes in benthic marine invertebrates using an ecosystem model. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 316:120450. [PMID: 36273693 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120450] [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: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Field studies showed that benthic macrofauna and meiofauna abundances increased with sediment oil concentration in areas affected by the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. Benthic invertebrate biomass shows a dome-shaped relationship with respect to petrogenic hydrocarbon concentrations suggesting a positive effect on biomass at low-to-medium oil concentrations and a negative effect at high concentrations. If this is due to enrichment of the benthic food web, then this adds to an emerging picture of a food web response over a large spatial area with both abundance increases and decreases as a result of DWH. We would be obliged to consider long term multispecies effects beyond the initial pulse disturbance in modeling impacts and recovery of economically valuable species. An Atlantis ecosystem model of the Gulf of Mexico is used to simulate three mechanisms that could explain observed changes in the invertebrate community. Scenario 1 is that stimulation of surface primary productivity occurred as a result of nutrient loading caused by diversion of Mississippi River water into Barataria Bay (a mitigation action taken during the DWH oil spill). Scenario 2 is that enrichment of the benthos occurred due to detrital loading from marine oil snow sedimentation and flocculent accumulation (MOSSFA). Scenario 3 is that predator declines and/or avoidance of oiled areas caused a release of predation mortality on benthic invertebrates. Scenario 2 (MOSSFA) stimulated the detritus-driven food web and was best able to cause a net increase in invertebrate biomass despite a realistic amount of oil toxicity. Scenario 3 (predator release) plausibly could have contributed to changes in benthic invertebrates. Scenario 1 (nutrient loading) had little impact on the benthos suggesting the benthic food web is decoupled from local pelagic production sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- L N Dornberger
- College of Marine Science. University of South Florida. 140 7th St. Petersburg, FL. 33701, USA
| | - P A Montagna
- Harte Research Institute. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412-5869, USA
| | - C H Ainsworth
- College of Marine Science. University of South Florida. 140 7th St. Petersburg, FL. 33701, USA.
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4
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Corcho-Alvarado JA, Díaz-Asencio M, Röllin S, Herguera JC. Distribution and source of plutonium in sediments from the southern Gulf of Mexico. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:85766-85776. [PMID: 35079966 PMCID: PMC9668946 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-18770-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Here, we report on new data (75 analyses) of plutonium (Pu) isotopes to elucidate activity concentrations, inventories, sources, and their transport from the ocean surface to the seafloor from a collection of six deep-sea sediment cores (depths ranging from 257 to 3739 m) in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Sediment cores collected from the continental shelf and upper slope region of the Gulf of Mexico showed 240Pu/239Pu ratios of 0.15 to 0.26, and 239+240Pu-inventories ranging from 14.7 to 33.0 Bq m-2. Inventories and ratios are consistent with global fallout Pu for this tropical region. In contrast, sediment cores collected from the lower slope region and abyssal plain showed low 240Pu/239Pu ratios of 0.07 to 0.13 and much lower 239+240Pu inventories below 6.8 Bq m-2. This implies that only a small fraction of the expected global fallout Pu has reached the deep-sea sediments. The low 240Pu/239Pu isotope ratios indicate that fallout from the Nevada testing site was an important source of Pu in deep-sea sediments, and that this Pu was likely more efficiently scavenged from the water column than Pu from global fallout. We estimated that up to 44% of the total inventory of 239+240Pu in deep-sea sediments is due to the Nevada source. Low values and a progressive decrease of 240Pu/239Pu ratios and 239+240Pu inventories with increasing water depth have been previously reported for the Gulf of Mexico. Analysis of Pu isotopes in two sediment traps from the upper slope regions shows 240Pu/239Pu ratios comparable to those observed in global fallout. These results indicate that global fallout Pu is currently the main source of Pu in sinking particles in the water column. Therefore, a significant fraction of global fallout Pu must still be present, either in a dissolved phase, or as biologically recycled material in the water column, or scavenged on the shelf and shelf break. Our results bring to light important questions on the application of Pu isotopes to establish sediment chronologies in deep-sea sediments, since global fallout features such as the 1963 maximum are not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- José A Corcho-Alvarado
- Nuclear Chemistry Division, Spiez Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection, CH-3700, Spiez, Switzerland.
| | - Misael Díaz-Asencio
- División de Oceanología, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, Baja California, México
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores (ENES), Unidad Mérida, UNAM. Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Stefan Röllin
- Nuclear Chemistry Division, Spiez Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection, CH-3700, Spiez, Switzerland
| | - Juan Carlos Herguera
- División de Oceanología, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, Baja California, México
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5
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French-McCay DP, Robinson HJ, Spaulding ML, Li Z, Horn M, Gloekler MD, Kim YH, Crowley D, Mendelsohn D. Validation of oil fate and mass balance for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: Evaluation of water column partitioning. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 173:113064. [PMID: 34695690 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Model predictions of oil transport and fate for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill (Gulf of Mexico) were compared to field observations and absolute and relative concentrations of oil compounds in samples from 900 to 1400 m depth <11 km from the well. Chemical partitioning analyses using quantitative indices support a bimodal droplet size distribution model for oil released during subsea dispersant applications in June with 74% of the mass in >1 mm droplets that surfaced near the spill site within a few hours, and 1-8% as <0.13 mm microdroplets that remained below 900 m. Analyses focused on 900-1400 m depth <11 km from the well indicate there was substantial biodegradation of dissolved components, some biodegradation in microdroplets, recirculation of weathered microdroplets into the wellhead area, and marine oil snow settling from above 900 m carrying more-weathered particulate oil into the deep plume.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Malcolm L Spaulding
- Department of Ocean Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Zhengkai Li
- Center for Drinking Water Quality, Rhode Island Department of Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | | | | | - Yong Hoon Kim
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester, PA, USA
| | - Deborah Crowley
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI, USA
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6
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French-McCay DP, Jayko K, Li Z, Spaulding ML, Crowley D, Mendelsohn D, Horn M, Isaji T, Kim YH, Fontenault J, Rowe JJ. Oil fate and mass balance for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 171:112681. [PMID: 34246929 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Based on oil fate modeling of the Deepwater Horizon spill through August 2010, during June and July 2010, ~89% of the oil surfaced, ~5% entered (by dissolving or as microdroplets) the deep plume (>900 m), and ~6% dissolved and biodegraded between 900 m and 40 m. Subsea dispersant application reduced surfacing oil by ~7% and evaporation of volatiles by ~26%. By July 2011, of the total oil, ~41% evaporated, ~15% was ashore and in nearshore (<10 m) sediments, ~3% was removed by responders, ~38.4% was in the water column (partially degraded; 29% shallower and 9.4% deeper than 40 m), and ~2.6% sedimented in waters >10 m (including 1.5% after August 2010). Volatile and soluble fractions that did not evaporate biodegraded by the end of August 2010, leaving residual oil to disperse and potentially settle. Model estimates were validated by comparison to field observations of floating oil and atmospheric emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zhengkai Li
- Center for Drinking Water Quality, Rhode Island Department of Health, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Malcolm L Spaulding
- Department of Ocean Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI, USA.
| | - Deborah Crowley
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI, USA.
| | | | | | | | - Yong Hoon Kim
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester, PA, USA.
| | | | - Jill J Rowe
- RPS Ocean Science, South Kingstown, RI, USA.
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7
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Kamalanathan M, Schwehr KA, Labonté JM, Taylor C, Bergen C, Patterson N, Claflin N, Santschi PH, Quigg A. The Interplay of Phototrophic and Heterotrophic Microbes Under Oil Exposure: A Microcosm Study. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:675328. [PMID: 34408728 PMCID: PMC8366316 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.675328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial interactions influence nearly one-half of the global biogeochemical flux of major elements of the marine ecosystem. Despite their ecological importance, microbial interactions remain poorly understood and even less is known regarding the effects of anthropogenic perturbations on these microbial interactions. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill exposed the Gulf of Mexico to ∼4.9 million barrels of crude oil over 87 days. We determined the effects of oil exposure on microbial interactions using short- and long-term microcosm experiments with and without Macondo surrogate oil. Microbial activity determined using radiotracers revealed that oil exposure negatively affected substrate uptake by prokaryotes within 8 h and by eukaryotes over 72 h. Eukaryotic uptake of heterotrophic exopolymeric substances (EPS) was more severely affected than prokaryotic uptake of phototrophic EPS. In addition, our long-term exposure study showed severe effects on photosynthetic activity. Lastly, changes in microbial relative abundances and fewer co-occurrences among microbial species were mostly driven by photosynthetic activity, treatment (control vs. oil), and prokaryotic heterotrophic metabolism. Overall, oil exposure affected microbial co-occurrence and/or interactions possibly by direct reduction in abundance of one of the interacting community members and/or indirect by reduction in metabolism (substrate uptake or photosynthesis) of interacting members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Kamalanathan
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Kathleen A Schwehr
- Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Jessica M Labonté
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Christian Taylor
- Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Charles Bergen
- Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Nicole Patterson
- Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Noah Claflin
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Peter H Santschi
- Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States.,Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Antonietta Quigg
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States.,Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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8
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Li W, Li X, Mei X, Zhang F, Xu J, Liu C, Wei C, Liu Q. A review of current and emerging approaches for Quaternary marine sediment dating. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 780:146522. [PMID: 33770600 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Dating methodologies for Quaternary marine sediments play increasingly important roles in the reconstruction of paleoenvironments and paleoclimate in (paleo)oceanography. Previous reviews or studies have focused mainly on one or two methodologies, and their applications in one specific environment. With the continuing technological and methodological advances in different methods over the past few decades, an up-to-date comparison of the pros and cons of each dating methodology is needed to clearly understand their applications in marine geoscience research. In this review, we first briefly summarized the common methods of absolute dating and relative dating. These are (1) radioisotope dating with different half-lives using natural nuclides of 234Th, 210Pb, 230Th, and 226Ra, cosmogenic nuclides of 7Be, 14C, 10Be, 32Si, 26Al, 36Cl and 21Ne, and the artificial radionuclides of 137Cs, 239, 240Pu, 241Am and 129I that have been induced by atmospheric nuclear tests, accidents in nuclear plants, and discharges of radioactive wastes; (2) radiation exposure dating of luminescence and electron paramagnetic resonance (ESR) dating; and (3) stratigraphic dating of δ18O and paleomagnetic sequence. Applications and limitations from the marine terraces, estuaries, to hadal trenches have been summarized to each technique in the study of Quaternary marine geoscience extending from the Anthropocene through the Pleistocene. Finally, we introduced some emerging event dating methods, namely the arrivals of microplastics, mercury isotopes, and organic pollutant deposition that all appeared after the industrial resolution in our now changing ocean influenced by acidification, global warming, and anthropogenic activities. We ended by discussing future perspectives for reliable and high-resolution chronology by interdisciplinary methods including computer programming to better understand the natural geological evolution and predict the future changes in earth science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenpeng Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xinxin Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, Guangdong, China.
| | - Xi Mei
- Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, Qingdao 266071, China; Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology/Evaluation and Detection Technology Laboratory of Marine Mineral Resources, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jingping Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, Guangdong, China
| | - Chunru Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics, Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Chuanyi Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics, Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Qingsong Liu
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
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9
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Ross J, Hollander D, Saupe S, Burd AB, Gilbert S, Quigg A. Integrating marine oil snow and MOSSFA into oil spill response and damage assessment. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 165:112025. [PMID: 33571788 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Marine snow formation and vertical transport are naturally occurring processes that carry organic matter from the surface to deeper waters, providing food and sequestering carbon. During the Deepwater Horizon well blowout, oil was incorporated with marine snow aggregates, triggering a Marine Oil Snow (MOS) Sedimentation and Flocculent Accumulation (MOSSFA) event, that transferred a significant percentage of the total released oil to the seafloor. An improved understanding of processes controlling MOS formation and MOSSFA events is necessary for evaluating their impacts on the fate of spilled oil. Numerical models and predictive tools capable of providing scientific support for oil spill planning, response, and Natural Resource Damage Assessment are being developed to provide information for weighing the ecological trade-offs of response options. Here we offer considerations for oil spill response and recovery when assessing the potential for a MOSSFA event and provide tools to enhance decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Ross
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
| | - David Hollander
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
| | - Susan Saupe
- Cook Inlet Regional Citizen's Advisory Council, Kenai, AK 99611, USA
| | - Adrian B Burd
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Sherryl Gilbert
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
| | - Antonietta Quigg
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
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10
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Rogers KL, Bosman SH, Wildermann N, Rosenheim BE, Montoya JP, Hollander D, Zhao T, Chanton JP. Mapping spatial and temporal variation of seafloor organic matter Δ 14C and δ 13C in the Northern Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 164:112076. [PMID: 33529879 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112076] [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: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010, large amounts of biodegraded oil (petrocarbon) sank to the seafloor. Our objectives were to 1) determine post-spill isotopic values as the sediments approached a new baseline and 2) track the recovery of affected sediments. Sediment organic carbon δ13C and Δ14C reached a post-spill baseline averaging -21.2 ± 0.9‰ (n = 129) and -220 ± 66‰ (n = 95). Spatial variations in seafloor organic carbon baseline isotopic values, 13C and 14C, were influenced by river discharge and hydrocarbon seepage, respectively. Inverse Distance Weighting of surface sediment Δ14C values away from seep sites showed a 50% decrease in the total mass of petrocarbon, from 2010 to 2014. We estimated a rate of loss of -2 × 109 g of petrocarbon-C/year, 2-11% of the degradation rates in surface slicks. Despite the observed recovery in sediments, lingering residual material in the surface sediments was evident seven years following the blowout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey L Rogers
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, 1011 Academic Way, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4350, United States.
| | - Samantha H Bosman
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, 1011 Academic Way, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4350, United States
| | - Natalie Wildermann
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, 1011 Academic Way, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4350, United States
| | - Brad E Rosenheim
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, 140 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, United States
| | - Joseph P Montoya
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 310 Ferst Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States
| | - David Hollander
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, 140 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, United States
| | - Tingting Zhao
- Department of Geography, Florida State University, 113 Collegiate Loop, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2190, United States
| | - Jeffrey P Chanton
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, 1011 Academic Way, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4350, United States.
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11
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Jacketti M, Beegle-Krause CJ, Englehardt JD. A review on the sinking mechanisms for oil and successful response technologies. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 160:111626. [PMID: 32896716 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A rise in the shipping of heavier hydrocarbon products increases the potential for an oil to sink after a spill. Further, sunken oil is difficult to locate and recover, and appropriate response technologies depend on the sinking mechanism. In this review, principal sinking mechanisms for oil are described and appropriate response technologies are suggested. Then, models appropriate for tracking sunken oil are compared. Oil may sink as burn residue, microscopic oil-particle aggregates (OPAs) or macroscopic oil-sediment mixtures (OSMs), marine oil snow during a MOSSFA event, or due to its high density. The most common mechanism is by sediment entrainment, and in such scenarios manual recovery has been reported as a successful response option. Among oil tracking models, trajectory models and Bayesian oil search models are compared for sunken oil capabilities. Many oil spill models require hydrodynamic inputs, whereas Bayesian models infer parameters based on available field concentration and bathymetric data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Jacketti
- College of Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.
| | | | - James D Englehardt
- College of Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
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12
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Marine Snow Aggregates are Enriched in Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Oil Contaminated Waters: Insights from a Mesocosm Study. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse8100781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Marine snow was implicated in the transport of oil to the seafloor during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but the exact processes remain controversial. In this study, we investigated the concentrations and distributions of the 16 USEPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in marine snow aggregates collected during a mesocosm experiment. Seawater only, oil in a water accommodated fraction (WAF), and Corexit-enhanced WAF (DCEWAF) were incubated for 16 d. Both WAF and DCEWAF aggregates were enriched in heavy molecular weight PAHs but depleted in naphthalene. DCEWAF aggregates had 2.6 times more total 16 PAHs than the WAF (20.5 vs. 7.8 µg/g). Aggregates in the WAF and DCEWAF incorporated 4.4% and 19.3%, respectively of the total PAHs in the mesocosm tanks. Our results revealed that marine snow sorbed and scavenged heavy molecular weight PAHs in the water column and the application of Corexit enhanced the incorporation of PAHs into the sinking aggregates.
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13
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Progress in Operational Modeling in Support of Oil Spill Response. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse8090668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident of a massive blow-out in the Gulf of Mexico, scientists from government, industry, and academia collaborated to advance oil spill modeling and share best practices in model algorithms, parameterizations, and application protocols. This synergy was greatly enhanced by research funded under the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), a 10-year enterprise that allowed unprecedented collection of observations and data products, novel experiments, and international collaborations that focused on the Gulf of Mexico, but resulted in the generation of scientific findings and tools of broader value. Operational oil spill modeling greatly benefited from research during the GoMRI decade. This paper provides a comprehensive synthesis of the related scientific advances, remaining challenges, and future outlook. Two main modeling components are discussed: Ocean circulation and oil spill models, to provide details on all attributes that contribute to the success and limitations of the integrated oil spill forecasts. These forecasts are discussed in tandem with uncertainty factors and methods to mitigate them. The paper focuses on operational aspects of oil spill modeling and forecasting, including examples of international operational center practices, observational needs, communication protocols, and promising new methodologies.
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14
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Elemental Contaminants in Surface Sediments from Jiulong River Estuary, China: Pollution Level and Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12061640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Estuaries, being the transitional zones between freshwater and marine environments, are important for protecting and rehabilitating the aquatic environments. Sediments from freshwater and marine environments were studied in Jiulong River Estuary (JRE) in different years for rare earth elements (REEs) and some environmentally important metal and metalloid elements (MMEs). The concentration of REEs ranged from 0.11 (Tm) to 296.20 mg kg−1 (Ce), while that of MMEs ranged from 0.40 (Cd) to 86,000 mg kg−1 (Al). The temporal analysis indicated an increase of both REEs and MMEs contaminants from 2012 to 2018. Fractionation of REEs and Ce and Eu anomalies indicated natural weathering, erosion processes and changes in redox chemistry at the sampling sites. Spatial structure analysis showed relatively higher levels of both REEs and MMEs in the freshwater sediments. These variations among the sampling sites indicated different land use and anthropogenic activities. The values of enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) indicated anthropogenic sources of accumulation, while, ecological risk assessment (Eix) and potential ecological risk index (PERI) indicated potential hazards for biota due to the accumulation of Pb, Zn and As elements.
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15
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Lelchat F, Dussauze M, Lemaire P, Theron M, Toffin L, Le Floch S. Measuring the biological impact of drilling waste on the deep seafloor: An experimental challenge. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 389:122132. [PMID: 32062395 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The depletion of traditional oil fields is driving the oil & gas industry to explore new exploitation sites previously considered as unprofitable. Deep-sea oil fields represent one of these new areas of exploitation. Well drilling during exploration and production operations generate large quantities of drilling waste whose biological impact on the deep-sea floor remains largely unknown. Because of the harsh abiotic factors characterizing this environment, the evaluation of this impact remains challenging. High hydrostatic pressure is the prominent factor which will affect in-situ biological processes. This review will examine the feedback on the various strategies used to evaluate the biological impact of deep-sea drilling waste deposition as well as the current technological limitations. Given the complexity of this issue, a good perspective strategy would be to trend towards the research and development of more relevant bioassays, especially considering the crucial factor of hydrostatic pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Lelchat
- Cedre, 715 rue Alain Colas - CS 41836, 29218 Brest Cedex 2, France; Leo viridis, 140 Avenue Graham Bell, 29280 Plouzané, France.
| | - M Dussauze
- EA 4324 ORPHY, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Université de Brest, 6 avenue LE GORGEU, CS 93837, 29238 Brest Cedex 3, France
| | - P Lemaire
- TOTAL FLUIDES SAS, 24 cours Michelet - 92800 Puteaux, 342 241 908 RCS Nanterre, France
| | - M Theron
- EA 4324 ORPHY, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Université de Brest, 6 avenue LE GORGEU, CS 93837, 29238 Brest Cedex 3, France
| | - L Toffin
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes, UMR6197, Ifremer Centre de Bretagne, ZI de la pointe du diable, CS 10070, 29280 Plouzané, France
| | - S Le Floch
- Cedre, 715 rue Alain Colas - CS 41836, 29218 Brest Cedex 2, France
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16
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Bosman SH, Schwing PT, Larson RA, Wildermann NE, Brooks GR, Romero IC, Sanchez-Cabeza JA, Ruiz-Fernández AC, Machain-Castillo ML, Gracia A, Escobar-Briones E, Murawski SA, Hollander DJ, Chanton JP. The southern Gulf of Mexico: A baseline radiocarbon isoscape of surface sediments and isotopic excursions at depth. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231678. [PMID: 32294128 PMCID: PMC7159241 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The southern Gulf of Mexico (sGoM) is home to an extensive oil recovery and development infrastructure. In addition, the basin harbors sites of submarine hydrocarbon seepage and receives terrestrial inputs from bordering rivers. We used stable carbon, nitrogen, and radiocarbon analyses of bulk sediment organic matter to define the current baseline isoscapes of surface sediments in the sGoM and determined which factors might influence them. These baseline surface isoscapes will be useful for accessing future environmental impacts. We also examined the region for influence of hydrocarbon deposition in the sedimentary record that might be associated with hydrocarbon recovery, spillage and seepage, as was found in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in 2010. In 1979, the sGoM experienced a major oil spill, Ixtoc 1. Surface sediment δ13C values ranged from -22.4‰ to -19.9‰, while Δ14C values ranged from -337.1‰ to -69.2‰. Sediment δ15N values ranged from 2.8‰ to 7.2‰, while the %C on a carbonate-free basis ranged in value of 0.65% to 3.89% and %N ranged in value of 0.09% to 0.49%. Spatial trends for δ13C and Δ14C were driven by water depth and distance from the coastline, while spatial trends for δ15N were driven by location (latitude and longitude). Location and distance from the coastline were significantly correlated with %C and %N. At depth in two of twenty (10%) core profiles, we found negative δ13C and Δ14C excursions from baseline values in bulk sedimentary organic material, consistent with either oil-residue deposition or terrestrial inputs, but likely the latter. We then used 210Pb dating on those two profiles to determine the time in which the excursion-containing horizons were deposited. Despite the large spill in 1979, no evidence of hydrocarbon residue remained in the sediments from this specific time period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha H. Bosman
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SHB); (JPC)
| | - Patrick T. Schwing
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
- Eckerd College, Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
| | | | - Natalie E. Wildermann
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Gregg R. Brooks
- Eckerd College, Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
| | - Isabel C. Romero
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
| | - Joan-Albert Sanchez-Cabeza
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Ana Carolina Ruiz-Fernández
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | | | - Adolfo Gracia
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Elva Escobar-Briones
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Steven A. Murawski
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
| | - David J. Hollander
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey P. Chanton
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SHB); (JPC)
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17
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Pulster EL, Gracia A, Armenteros M, Toro-Farmer G, Snyder SM, Carr BE, Schwaab MR, Nicholson TJ, Mrowicki J, Murawski SA. A First Comprehensive Baseline of Hydrocarbon Pollution in Gulf of Mexico Fishes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6437. [PMID: 32296072 PMCID: PMC7160155 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62944-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite over seven decades of production and hundreds of oil spills per year, there were no comprehensive baselines for petroleum contamination in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) prior to this study. Subsequent to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill, we implemented Gulf-wide fish surveys extending over seven years (2011–2018). A total of 2,503 fishes, comprised of 91 species, were sampled from 359 locations and evaluated for biliary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations. The northern GoM had significantly higher total biliary PAH concentrations than the West Florida Shelf, and coastal regions off Mexico and Cuba. The highest concentrations of biliary PAH metabolites occurred in Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares), Golden Tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps), and Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). Conversely, biliary PAH concentrations were relatively low for most other species including economically important snappers and groupers. While oil contamination in most demersal species in the north central GoM declined in the first few years following DWH, more recent increases in exposure to PAHs in some species suggest a complex interaction between multiple input sources and possible re-suspension or bioturbation of oil-contaminated sediments. This study provides the most comprehensive baselines of PAH exposure in fishes ever conducted for a large marine ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Pulster
- University of South Florida, 140 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA.
| | - Adolfo Gracia
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
| | - Maickel Armenteros
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Ciudad de México, CDMX, México.,Universidad de La Habana, Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, 16 # 114, Playa, Habana, 11300, Cuba
| | | | - Susan M Snyder
- University of South Florida, 140 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - Brigid E Carr
- University of South Florida, 140 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - Madison R Schwaab
- University of South Florida, 140 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - Tiffany J Nicholson
- University of South Florida, 140 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - Justin Mrowicki
- University of South Florida, 140 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - Steven A Murawski
- University of South Florida, 140 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
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18
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White AR, Jalali M, Boufadel MC, Sheng J. Bacteria forming drag-increasing streamers on a drop implicates complementary fates of rising deep-sea oil droplets. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4305. [PMID: 32152410 PMCID: PMC7062730 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61214-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Competing time scales involved in rapid rising micro-droplets in comparison to substantially slower biodegradation processes at oil-water interfaces highlights a perplexing question: how do biotic processes occur and alter the fates of oil micro-droplets (<500 μm) in the 400 m thick Deepwater Horizon deep-sea plume? For instance, a 200 μm droplet traverses the plume in ~48 h, while known biodegradation processes require weeks to complete. Using a microfluidic platform allowing microcosm observations of a droplet passing through a bacterial suspension at ecologically relevant length and time scales, we discover that within minutes bacteria attach onto an oil droplet and extrude polymeric streamers that rapidly bundle into an elongated aggregate, drastically increasing drag that consequently slows droplet rising velocity. Results provide a key mechanism bridging competing scales and establish a potential pathway to biodegradation and sedimentations as well as substantially alter physical transport of droplets during a deep-sea oil spill with dispersant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R White
- Department of Engineering, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA
| | - Maryam Jalali
- Department of Engineering, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA
| | - Michel C Boufadel
- Center for Natural Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
| | - Jian Sheng
- Department of Engineering, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA.
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19
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Pulster EL, Gracia A, Armenteros M, Carr BE, Mrowicki J, Murawski SA. Chronic PAH exposures and associated declines in fish health indices observed for ten grouper species in the Gulf of Mexico. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 703:135551. [PMID: 31767300 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ten grouper species grouper (n = 584) were collected throughout the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) from 2011 through 2017 to provide information on hepatobiliary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. Liver and bile samples were analyzed for PAHs and their metabolites using triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-F), respectively. Data were compared among species and sub-regions of the GoM to understand spatiotemporal exposure dynamics in these economically and ecologically important species. Significant differences in the composition and concentrations of PAHs were detected spatially, over time and by species. The West Florida Shelf, Cuba coast and the Yucatan Shelf had a greater proportion of the pyrogenic PAHs in their livers than the other regions likely due to non-oil industry related sources (e.g., marine vessel traffic) in the regional composition profiles. Mean liver PAH concentrations were highest in the north central region of the GoM where DWH occurred. Biliary PAH concentrations and health indicator biometrics initially decrease during the first three years following the DWH oil spill but significantly increased thereafter. Increased exposures are likely explained by the resuspension of residual DWH oil as well as continued inputs from natural (e.g., seeps) sources and other anthropogenically derived sources (e.g., riverine runoff, other oil spills, and leaking oil and gas infrastructure). The increasing trend in PAH concentrations in the bile and liver of grouper species in the north central region of the GoM post-DWH suggest continued chronic exposures, however the critical stage at which permanent, irreparable damage may occur is unknown. Long-term monitoring of PAH levels and associated fish health biomarkers is necessary to evaluate impacts of chronic exposures, particularly in regions subject to intensive oil extraction activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Pulster
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL, USA.
| | - Adolfo Gracia
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Maickel Armenteros
- Universidad de La Habana, Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, 16 # 114, Playa, Habana 11300, Cuba
| | - Brigid E Carr
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Justin Mrowicki
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Steven A Murawski
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
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20
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Struch RE, Pulster EL, Schreier AD, Murawski SA. Hepatobiliary Analyses Suggest Chronic PAH Exposure in Hakes (Urophycis spp.) Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2019; 38:2740-2749. [PMID: 31514227 PMCID: PMC6899602 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Prior to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, we lacked a comprehensive baseline of oil contamination in the Gulf of Mexico's sediments, water column, and biota. Gaps in prespill knowledge limit our ability to determine the aftereffects of the Deepwater Horizon blowout or prepare to mitigate similar impacts during future oil spill disasters. We examined spatiotemporal differences in exposure to and metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 2 hake species (Urophycis spp.) to establish a current baseline for these ecologically important, abundant, and at-risk demersal fishes. Gulf hake (Urophycis cirrata) and southern hake (Urophycis floridana) were collected throughout the Gulf of Mexico during extensive longline surveys from 2012 to 2015. Analyses of biliary PAH metabolites and liver PAH concentrations provided evidence of exposures to di- and tricyclic compounds, with the highest concentrations measured in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Species-specific differences were not detected, but temporal trends observed in biliary PAHs suggest a decrease in acute exposures, whereas increasing liver PAHs suggest chronic exposures marked by greater assimilation than metabolism rates. To our knowledge, the present study provides the first multitissue contaminant analyses, as well as the most exhaustive biometric analyses, for both gulf and southern hakes. Though sources of exposure are complex because of multiple natural and anthropogenic PAH inputs, these results will facilitate the development of much needed health metrics for Gulf of Mexico benthos. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:2740-2749. © 2019 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E. Struch
- Department of Animal ScienceUniversity of California DavisDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Erin L. Pulster
- College of Marine ScienceUniversity of South Florida, St.PetersburgFloridaUSA
| | - Andrea D. Schreier
- Department of Animal ScienceUniversity of California DavisDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Steven A. Murawski
- College of Marine ScienceUniversity of South Florida, St.PetersburgFloridaUSA
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21
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Xu C, Lin P, Zhang S, Sun L, Xing W, Schwehr KA, Chin WC, Wade TL, Knap AH, Hatcher PG, Yard A, Jiang C, Quigg A, Santschi PH. The interplay of extracellular polymeric substances and oil/Corexit to affect the petroleum incorporation into sinking marine oil snow in four mesocosms. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 693:133626. [PMID: 31377363 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Large amounts of oil containing mucous-like marine snow formed in surface waters adjacent to the Deepwater Horizon spill that was implicated in oil delivery to the seafloor. However, whether chemical dispersants that were used increased or decreased the oil incorporation and sedimentation efficiency, and how exopolymeric substances (EPS) are involved in this process remains unresolved. To investigate the microbial responses to oil and dispersants in different oceanic settings, indicated by EPS production, petro- and non-petro carbon sedimentation, four mesocosm (M) experiments were conducted: 1) nearshore seawater with a natural microbial consortia (M2); 2) offshore seawater with f/20 nutrients (M3); 3) coastal seawater with f/20 nutrients (M4); 4) nearshore seawater with a natural microbial consortia for a longer duration (M5). Four treatments were conducted in M2, M3 and M4 whereas only three in M5: 1) a water accommodated fraction of oil (WAF), 2) a chemically-enhanced WAF prepared with Corexit (CEWAF, not in M5), 3) a 10-fold diluted CEWAF (DCEWAF); and 4) controls. Overall, oil and dispersants input, nutrient and microbial biomass addition enhanced EPS production. Dispersant addition tended to induce the production of EPS with higher protein/carbohydrate (P/C) ratios, irrespective of oceanic regions. EPS produced in M4 was generally more hydrophobic than that produced in M3. The P/C ratio of EPS in both the aggregate and the colloidal fraction was a key factor that regulated oil contribution to sinking aggregates, based on the close correlation with %petro-carbon in these fractions. In the short term (4-5 days), both the petro and non-petro carbon sedimentation efficiencies showed decreasing trends when oil/dispersants were present. In comparison, in the longer-term (16 days), petro-carbon sedimentation efficiency was less influenced by dispersants, possibly due to biological and physicochemical changes of the components of the oil-EPS-mineral phase system, which cooperatively controlled the sinking velocities of the aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Xu
- Dept. of Marine Science, Texas A & M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77553, USA.
| | - Peng Lin
- Dept. of Marine Science, Texas A & M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Saijin Zhang
- Dept. of Marine Science, Texas A & M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Luni Sun
- Dept. of Marine Science, Texas A & M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Wei Xing
- Dept. of Marine Science, Texas A & M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Kathleen A Schwehr
- Dept. of Marine Science, Texas A & M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Wei-Chun Chin
- Bioengineering, University of California at Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Terry L Wade
- Dept. of Oceanography, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Anthony H Knap
- Dept. of Oceanography, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Patrick G Hatcher
- Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA
| | - Alexandra Yard
- Dept. of Marine Science, Texas A & M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Christine Jiang
- Dept. of Marine Science, Texas A & M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Antonietta Quigg
- Dept. of Oceanography, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Dept. of Marine Biology, Texas A & M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
| | - Peter H Santschi
- Dept. of Marine Science, Texas A & M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77553, USA; Dept. of Oceanography, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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22
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Overholt WA, Schwing P, Raz KM, Hastings D, Hollander DJ, Kostka JE. The core seafloor microbiome in the Gulf of Mexico is remarkably consistent and shows evidence of recovery from disturbance caused by major oil spills. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:4316-4329. [PMID: 31469487 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The microbial ecology of oligotrophic deep ocean sediments is understudied relative to their shallow counterparts, and this lack of understanding hampers our ability to predict responses to current and future perturbations. The Gulf of Mexico has experienced two of the largest accidental marine oil spills, the 1979 Ixtoc-1 blowout and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) discharge. Here, microbial communities were characterized for 29 sites across multiple years in > 700 samples. The composition of the seafloor microbiome was broadly consistent across the region and was well approximated by the overlying water depth and depth within the sediment column, while geographic distance played a limited role. Biogeographical distributions were employed to generate predictive models for over 4000 OTU that leverage easy-to-obtain geospatial variables which are linked to measured sedimentary oxygen profiles. Depth stratification and putative niche diversification are evidenced by the distribution of taxa that mediate the microbial nitrogen cycle. Furthermore, these results demonstrate that sediments impacted by the DWH spill had returned to near baseline conditions after 2 years. The distributions of benthic microorganisms in the Gulf can be constrained, and moreover, deviations from these predictions may pinpoint impacted sites and aid in future response efforts or long-term stability studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will A Overholt
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Patrick Schwing
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Kala M Raz
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - David Hastings
- Department of Marine Science, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - David J Hollander
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Joel E Kostka
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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23
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White AR, Jalali M, Sheng J. A new ecology-on-a-chip microfluidic platform to study interactions of microbes with a rising oil droplet. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13737. [PMID: 31551440 PMCID: PMC6760120 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50153-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in microfluidics technology has enabled many discoveries on microbial mechanisms and phenotypes owing to its exquisite controls over biological and chemical environments. However, emulating accurate ecologically relevant flow environments (e.g. microbes around a rising oil droplet) in microfluidics remains challenging. Here, we present a microfluidic platform, i.e. ecology-on-a-chip (eChip), that simulates environmental conditions around an oil droplet rising through ocean water as commonly occurred during a deep-sea oil spill or a natural seep, and enables detailed observations of microbe-oil interactions at scales relevant to marine ecology (i.e. spatial scales of individual bacterium in a dense suspension and temporal scales from milliseconds to weeks or months). Owing to the unique capabilities, we present unprecedented observations of polymeric microbial aggregates formed on rising oil droplets and their associated hydrodynamic impacts including flow fields and momentum budgets. Using the platform with Pseudomonas, Marinobacter, and Alcarnivorax, we have shown that polymeric aggregates formed by them present significant differences in morphology, growth rates, and hydrodynamic impacts. This platform enables us to investigate unexplored array of microbial interactions with oil drops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R White
- Department of Engineering, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA
| | - Maryam Jalali
- Department of Engineering, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA
| | - Jian Sheng
- Department of Engineering, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA.
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24
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Potts LD, Perez Calderon LJ, Gontikaki E, Keith L, Gubry-Rangin C, Anderson JA, Witte U. Effect of spatial origin and hydrocarbon composition on bacterial consortia community structure and hydrocarbon biodegradation rates. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 94:5047303. [PMID: 29982504 PMCID: PMC6166136 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Oil reserves in deep-sea sediments are currently subject to intense exploration, with associated risks of oil spills. Previous research suggests that microbial communities from deep-sea sediment (>1000m) can degrade hydrocarbons (HCs), but have a lower degradation ability than shallow (<200m) communities, probably due to in situ temperature. This study aimed to assess the effect of marine origin on microbial HC degradation potential while separating the influence of temperature, and to characterise associated HC-degrading bacterial communities. Microbial communities from 135 and 1000 m deep sediments were selectively enriched on crude oil at in situ temperatures and both consortia were subsequently incubated for 42 days at 20°C with two HC mixtures: diesel fuel or model oil. Significant HC biodegradation occurred rapidly in the presence of both consortia, especially of low molecular weight HCs and was concomitant with microbial community changes. Further, oil degradation was higher with the shallow consortium than with the deep one. Dominant HC-degrading bacteria differed based on both spatial origin of the consortia and supplemented HC types. This study provides evidence for influence of sediment spatial origin and HC composition on the selection and activity of marine HC-degrading bacterial communities and is relevant for future bioremediationdevelopments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lloyd D Potts
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UL, United Kingdom.,Materials and Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen, Fraser Noble Building, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, United Kingdom
| | - Luis J Perez Calderon
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UL, United Kingdom.,Materials and Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen, Fraser Noble Building, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, United Kingdom
| | - Evangelia Gontikaki
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UL, United Kingdom
| | - Lehanne Keith
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UL, United Kingdom
| | - Cécile Gubry-Rangin
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UL, United Kingdom
| | - James A Anderson
- Materials and Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen, Fraser Noble Building, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, United Kingdom
| | - Ursula Witte
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UL, United Kingdom
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25
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Perrot V, Landing WM, Grubbs RD, Salters VJM. Mercury bioaccumulation in tilefish from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico 2 years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: Insights from Hg, C, N and S stable isotopes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 666:828-838. [PMID: 30818207 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) concentration in fish of the Gulf of the Mexico (GoM) is a major concern due to the importance of the GoM for U.S. fisheries. The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in April 2010 in the northern GoM resulted in large amounts of oil and dispersant released to the water column, which potentially modified Hg bioaccumulation patterns in affected areas. We measured Hg species (methylmercury (MMHg) and inorganic Hg (IHg)) concentrations, and light (C, N and S) and Hg stable isotopes in muscle and liver tissues from tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaleonticeps) sampled in 2012 and 2013 along the shelf break of the northeastern GoM. Fish located close to the mouth of the Mississippi River (MR) and northwest of the DWH well-head (47 km) showed significantly lower Hg levels in muscle and liver than fish located further northeast of the DWH (>109 km), where 98% of tilefish had Hg levels in the muscle above US consumption advisory thresholds (50% for tilefish close to the DWH). Differences in light and Hg stable isotopes signatures were observed between these two areas, showing higher δ15N, and lower δ202Hg, Δ199Hg and δ34S in fish close to the DWH/MR. This suggests that suspended particles from the MR reduces Hg bioavailability at the base of the GoM food chains. This phenomenon can be locally enhanced by the DWH that resulted in increased particles in the water column as evidenced by the marine snow layer in the sediments. On the other hand, freshly deposited Hg associated with organic matter in more oligotrophic marine waters enhanced Hg bioaccumulation in local food webs. Comparing Hg isotopic composition in liver and muscle of fish indicates specific metabolic response in fish having accumulated high levels of MMHg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Perrot
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, 1800 East Paul Dirac Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA.
| | - William M Landing
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, 117 N. Woodward Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - R Dean Grubbs
- Coastal and Marine Laboratory, Florida State University, 3618 Coastal Highway 98, St. Teresa, FL 32358-2702, USA
| | - Vincent J M Salters
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, 1800 East Paul Dirac Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA
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26
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van Eenennaam JS, Rohal M, Montagna PA, Radović JR, Oldenburg TBP, Romero IC, Murk AJ, Foekema EM. Ecotoxicological benthic impacts of experimental oil-contaminated marine snow deposition. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 141:164-175. [PMID: 30955722 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Marine Oil Snow Sedimentation and Flocculent Accumulation (MOSSFA) can pose serious threats to the marine benthic ecosystem as it results in a deposition of oil contaminated marine snow on the sediment surface. In a microcosm experiment we investigated the effects of oil in combination with artificial marine snow or kaolin clay on two benthic invertebrate species and benthic meiofauna. The amphipod showed a dose-dependent decrease in survival for both oil-contaminated clay and oil-contaminated marine snow. The gastropod was only affected by the highest concentration of oil-contaminated marine snow and had internal concentrations of PAHs with a similar distribution as oil-contaminated marine snow. Benthic copepods showed higher survival in presence of marine snow. This study revealed that marine snow on the sediment after oil spills affects organisms in a trait-dependent way and that it can be a vector for introducing oil into the food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine S van Eenennaam
- Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Melissa Rohal
- Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Unit 5869, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA
| | - Paul A Montagna
- Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Unit 5869, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA
| | - Jagoš R Radović
- PRG, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, T2N 1N4 Calgary, Canada
| | - Thomas B P Oldenburg
- PRG, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, T2N 1N4 Calgary, Canada
| | - Isabel C Romero
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 140 7th Ave S., St Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
| | - AlberTinka J Murk
- Marine Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin M Foekema
- Marine Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands; Wageningen Marine Research, P.O. Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, The Netherlands.
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27
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Suja LD, Chen X, Summers S, Paterson DM, Gutierrez T. Chemical Dispersant Enhances Microbial Exopolymer (EPS) Production and Formation of Marine Oil/Dispersant Snow in Surface Waters of the Subarctic Northeast Atlantic. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:553. [PMID: 30949150 PMCID: PMC6435573 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A notable feature of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the unprecedented formation of marine oil snow (MOS) that was observed in large quantities floating on the sea surface and that subsequently sedimented to the seafloor. Whilst the physical and chemical processes involved in MOS formation remain unclear, some studies have shown that extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) play a role in this process. Here, we report that during exposure of subarctic northeast Atlantic seawater to a chemical dispersant, whether in the presence/absence of crude oil, the dispersant stimulates the production of significant quantities of EPS that we posit serves as a key building block in the formation of MOS. This response is likely conferred via de novo synthesis of EPS by natural communities of bacteria. We also describe the formation of marine dispersant snow (MDS) as a product of adding chemical dispersants to seawater. Differential staining confirmed that MDS, like MOS, is composed of glycoprotein, though MDS is more protein rich. Using barcoded-amplicon Illumina MiSeq sequencing, we analyzed, for the first time, the bacterial communities associated with MDS and report that their diversity is not significantly dissimilar to those associated with MOS aggregates. Our findings emphasize the need to conduct further work on the effects of dispersants when applied to oil spills at sea, particularly at different sites, and to determine how the product of this (i.e., MOS and MDS) affects the biodegradation of the oil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Duran Suja
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Xindi Chen
- School of Biology, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom.,College of Harbour, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
| | - Stephen Summers
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - David M Paterson
- School of Biology, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Tony Gutierrez
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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28
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Rogers KL, Bosman SH, Lardie-Gaylord M, McNichol A, Rosenheim BE, Montoya JP, Chanton JP. Petrocarbon evolution: Ramped pyrolysis/oxidation and isotopic studies of contaminated oil sediments from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212433. [PMID: 30818376 PMCID: PMC6396836 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrocarbons released during the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill weathered due to exposure to oxygen, light, and microbes. During weathering, the hydrocarbons' reactivity and lability was altered, but it remained identifiable as "petrocarbon" due to its retention of the distinctive isotope signatures (14C and 13C) of petroleum. Relative to the initial estimates of the quantity of oil-residue deposited in Gulf sediments based on 2010-2011 data, the overall coverage and quantity of the fossil carbon on the seafloor has been attenuated. To analyze recovery of oil contaminated deep-sea sediments in the northern Gulf of Mexico we tracked the carbon isotopic composition (13C and 14C, radiocarbon) of bulk sedimentary organic carbon through time at 4 sites. Using ramped pyrolysis/oxidation, we determined the thermochemical stability of sediment organic matter at 5 sites, two of these in time series. There were clear differences between crude oil (which decomposed at a lower temperature during ramped oxidation), natural hydrocarbon seep sediment (decomposing at a higher temperature; Δ14C = -912‰) and our control site (decomposing at a moderate temperature; Δ14C = -189‰), in both the stability (ability to withstand ramped temperatures in oxic conditions) and carbon isotope signatures. We observed recovery toward our control site bulk Δ14C composition at sites further from the wellhead in ~4 years, whereas sites in closer proximity had longer recovery times. The thermographs also indicated temporal changes in the composition of contaminated sediment, with shifts towards higher temperature CO2 evolution over time at a site near the wellhead, and loss of higher temperature CO2 peaks at a more distant site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey L. Rogers
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State
University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Samantha H. Bosman
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State
University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Mary Lardie-Gaylord
- NOSAMS, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Woods Hole, Massachusetts,
United States of America
| | - Ann McNichol
- NOSAMS, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Woods Hole, Massachusetts,
United States of America
| | - Brad E. Rosenheim
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg,
Florida, United States of America
| | - Joseph P. Montoya
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta,
Florida, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey P. Chanton
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State
University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
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29
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Romero IC, Sutton T, Carr B, Quintana-Rizzo E, Ross SW, Hollander DJ, Torres JJ. Decadal Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Mesopelagic Fishes from the Gulf of Mexico Reveals Exposure to Oil-Derived Sources. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:10985-10996. [PMID: 30148351 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b02243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study characterizes a decadal assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the muscle tissues of mesopelagic fish species as indicators of the environmental health of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) deep-pelagic ecosystem. Mesopelagic fishes were collected prior to the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill (2007), immediately post-spill (2010), 1 year after the spill (2011), and 5-6 years post-spill (2015-2016) to assess if the mesopelagic ecosystem was exposed to, and retained, PAH compounds from the DWH spill. Results indicated that a 7- to 10-fold increase in PAHs in fish muscle tissues occurred in 2010-2011 (4972 ± 1477 ng/g) compared to 2007 (630 ± 236 ng/g). In 2015-2016, PAH concentrations decreased close to the levels measured in 2007 samples (827 ± 138 ng/g); however, the composition of PAHs still resembles a petrogenic source similar to samples collected in 2010-2011. PAH composition in muscle samples indicated that natural sources (e.g., Mississippi River and natural seeps) or spatial variability within the GoM do not explain the temporal variability of PAHs observed from 2007 to 2016. Furthermore, analysis of different fish tissues indicated the dietary intake and maternal transfer of PAHs as the primary mechanisms for bioaccumulation in 2015-2016, explaining the elevated levels and composition of PAHs in ovarian eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel C Romero
- College of Marine Science , University of South Florida , Saint Petersburg , Florida 33701 , United States
| | - Tracey Sutton
- Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography , Nova Southeastern University , Dania Beach , Florida 33004 , United States
| | - Brigid Carr
- College of Marine Science , University of South Florida , Saint Petersburg , Florida 33701 , United States
| | - Ester Quintana-Rizzo
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium , Boston , Massachusetts 02110 , United States
| | - Steve W Ross
- Center for Marine Science , University of North Carolina , Wilmington , North Carolina 28409 , United States
| | - David J Hollander
- College of Marine Science , University of South Florida , Saint Petersburg , Florida 33701 , United States
| | - Joseph J Torres
- College of Marine Science , University of South Florida , Saint Petersburg , Florida 33701 , United States
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30
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Gontikaki E, Potts L, Anderson J, Witte U. Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in deep-water subarctic sediments (Faroe-Shetland Channel). J Appl Microbiol 2018; 125:1040-1053. [PMID: 29928773 PMCID: PMC6849767 DOI: 10.1111/jam.14030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The aim of this study was the baseline description of oil-degrading sediment bacteria along a depth transect in the Faroe-Shetland Channel (FSC) and the identification of biomarker taxa for the detection of oil contamination in FSC sediments. METHODS AND RESULTS Oil-degrading sediment bacteria from 135, 500 and 1000 m were enriched in cultures with crude oil as the sole carbon source (at 12, 5 and 0°C respectively). The enriched communities were studied using culture-dependent and culture-independent (clone libraries) techniques. Isolated bacterial strains were tested for hydrocarbon degradation capability. Bacterial isolates included well-known oil-degrading taxa and several that are reported in that capacity for the first time (Sulfitobacter, Ahrensia, Belliella, Chryseobacterium). The orders Oceanospirillales and Alteromonadales dominated clone libraries in all stations but significant differences occurred at genus level particularly between the shallow and the deep, cold-water stations. Alcanivorax constituted 64% of clones at FSC135 but was absent at deeper stations. Pseudoalteromonas and Oleispira dominated the bacterial community at 500 and 1000 m. CONCLUSIONS The genus Oleispira emerged as a major player in the early stages of crude oil degradation in deep-sea sediments of the FSC particularly at subzero temperatures. This finding is offering a direction for future research into biomonitoring tools for the detection of low levels of crude oil contamination in the deep FSC, and possibly high latitude cold waters in general. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Oil and gas exploration in the FSC occurs at depths >1000 m but baseline environmental data necessary for the assessment of ecosystem recovery to prespill conditions in the event of an oil spill are lacking. This study will contribute to our ability to assess the impact of oil release in the FSC and guide the direction of bioremediation strategies tailored to the area.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Gontikaki
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | - L.D. Potts
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | - J.A. Anderson
- Surface Chemistry and Catalysis Group, Materials and Chemical Engineering, School of EngineeringUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | - U. Witte
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
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31
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The impact of the Deepwater Horizon blowout on historic shipwreck-associated sediment microbiomes in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9057. [PMID: 29955123 PMCID: PMC6023898 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27350-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 2,000 historic shipwrecks spanning 500 years of history, rest on the Gulf of Mexico seafloor. Shipwrecks serve as artificial reefs and hotspots of biodiversity by providing hard substrate, something rare in deep ocean regions. The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) spill discharged crude oil into the deep Gulf. Because of physical, biological, and chemical interactions, DWH oil was deposited on the seafloor, where historic shipwrecks are present. This study examined sediment microbiomes at seven historic shipwrecks. Steel-hulled, World War II-era shipwrecks and wooden-hulled, 19th century shipwrecks within and outside of the surface oiled area and subsurface plume were examined. Analysis of 16S rRNA sequence libraries, sediment radiocarbon age data, sedimentation rates, and hydrocarbons revealed that the German U-boat U-166 and the wooden-hulled sailing vessel known as the Mardi Gras Wreck, both in the Mississippi Canyon leasing area, were exposed to deposited oil during a rapid sedimentation event. Impacts to shipwreck microbiomes included a significant increase in Piscirickettsiaceae-related sequences in surface sediments, and reduced biodiversity relative to unimpacted sites. This study is the first to address the impact of the spill on shipwreck-associated microbiomes, and to explore how shipwrecks themselves influence microbiome diversity in the deep sea.
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32
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Lewis A, Prince RC. Integrating Dispersants in Oil Spill Response in Arctic and Other Icy Environments. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:6098-6112. [PMID: 29709187 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b06463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Future oil exploration and marine navigation may well extend into the Arctic Ocean, and government agencies and responders need to plan for accidental oil spills. We argue that dispersants should play an important role in these plans, since they have substantial logistical benefits, work effectively under Arctic conditions, and stimulate the rapid biodegradation of spilled oil. They also minimize the risk of surface slicks to birds and mammals, the stranding of oil on fragile shorelines and minimize the need for large work crews to be exposed to Arctic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roger C Prince
- Stonybrook Apiary, Pittstown , New Jersey 08867 , United States
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33
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Stout SA, German CR. Characterization and flux of marine oil snow settling toward the seafloor in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon incident: Evidence for input from surface oil and impact on shallow shelf sediments. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 129:695-713. [PMID: 29108738 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.10.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Sediment trap samples from the shelf edge area (400-450m water depth), 58km northeast of the failed Macondo well, were collected before, during and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Detailed chemical analyses of particulates revealed that fluxes of spill-derived TPH (2356μg/m2/day), total PAH (5.4μg/m2/day), and hopane (0.89μg/m2/day) settling to the seafloor directly beneath the surface-plume were 19- to 44-times higher during the active spill than pre- and post-spill background values. The oil was variably biodegraded, evaporated and photo-oxidized indicating that it derived from the sinking of surface oil. The hopane-based oil flux that we calculate (10bbl/km2) indicates that at least 76,000bbl of Macondo oil that reached the ocean surface subsequently sank over an area of approximately 7600km2. We explore how this flux of sunken surface oil contributed to the total volume of oil deposited on the seafloor following the Deepwater Horizon incident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Stout
- NewFields Environmental Forensics Practice, LLC, Rockland, MA, United States.
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34
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van Eenennaam JS, Rahsepar S, Radović JR, Oldenburg TBP, Wonink J, Langenhoff AAM, Murk AJ, Foekema EM. Marine snow increases the adverse effects of oil on benthic invertebrates. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 126:339-348. [PMID: 29421110 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a MOSSFA (Marine Oil Snow Sedimentation and Flocculent Accumulation) event took place, transporting an estimated 14% of total released oil to the sediment, and smothering parts of the benthic ecosystem. This microcosm study describes the effects of oiled artificial marine snow on benthic macroinvertebrates. Corophium volutator survival was reduced by 80% in oil-contaminated snow. Hydrobia ulvae survival was reduced by 40% in oil-contaminated snow, possibly due to consumption of oiled snow. Macoma balthica was sensitive to marine snow, addition of oil slightly decreased survival. This study reveals trait-dependent sensitivity to oil with or without marine snow. The main drivers for organismal response to marine snow and oil are motility, sensitivity to hypoxia and oil toxicity, and feeding habits. Adverse effects of MOSSFA events on benthos will have consequence for the benthic-pelagic habitat and food chain, and should receive more attention in oil spill management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine S van Eenennaam
- Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Shokouh Rahsepar
- Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jagoš R Radović
- PRG, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, T2N 1N4 Calgary, Canada
| | - Thomas B P Oldenburg
- PRG, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, T2N 1N4 Calgary, Canada
| | - Jessica Wonink
- Marine Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Alette A M Langenhoff
- Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Albertinka J Murk
- Marine Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin M Foekema
- Marine Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands; Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, The Netherlands
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35
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Passow U, Sweet J, Quigg A. How the dispersant Corexit impacts the formation of sinking marine oil snow. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 125:139-145. [PMID: 28807420 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The vertical transport of sinking marine oil snow (MOS) and oil-sediment aggregations (OSA) during the Deepwater Horizon (DwH) spill contributed appreciably to the unexpected, and exceptional accumulation of oil on the seafloor. However, the role of the dispersant Corexit in mediating oil-sedimentation is still controversial. Here we demonstrate that the formation of diatom MOS is enhanced by chemically undispersed oil, but inhibited by Corexit-dispersed oil. Nevertheless, the sedimentation rate of oil may at times be enhanced by Corexit application, because of an elevated oil content per aggregate when Corexit is used. A conceptual framework explains the seemingly contradictory effects of Corexit application on the sedimentation of oil and marine particles. The redistribution of oil has central ecological implications, and future decisions on mediating measures or damage assessment will have to take the formation of sinking, oil-laden, marine snow into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uta Passow
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
| | - Julia Sweet
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Antonietta Quigg
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77553, USA; Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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36
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Babcock-Adams L, Chanton JP, Joye SB, Medeiros PM. Hydrocarbon composition and concentrations in the Gulf of Mexico sediments in the 3 years following the Macondo well blowout. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 229:329-338. [PMID: 28605720 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.05.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In April of 2010, the Macondo well blowout in the northern Gulf of Mexico resulted in an unprecedented release of oil into the water column at a depth of approximately 1500 m. A time series of surface and subsurface sediment samples were collected to the northwest of the well from 2010 to 2013 for molecular biomarker and bulk carbon isotopic analyses. While no clear trend was observed in subsurface sediments, surface sediments (0-3 cm) showed a clear pattern with total concentrations of n-alkanes, unresolved complex mixture (UCM), and petroleum biomarkers (terpanes, hopanes, steranes) increasing from May to September 2010, peaking in late November 2010, and strongly decreasing in the subsequent years. The peak in hydrocarbon concentrations were corroborated by higher organic carbon contents, more depleted Δ14C values and biomarker ratios similar to those of the initial MC252 crude oil reported in the literature. These results indicate that at least part of oil discharged from the accident sedimented to the seafloor in subsequent months, resulting in an apparent accumulation of hydrocarbons on the seabed by the end of 2010. Sediment resuspension and transport or biodegradation may account for the decrease in sedimented oil quantities in the years following the Macondo well spill.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeffrey P Chanton
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahasee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Samantha B Joye
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Patricia M Medeiros
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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37
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Romero IC, Toro-Farmer G, Diercks AR, Schwing P, Muller-Karger F, Murawski S, Hollander DJ. Large-scale deposition of weathered oil in the Gulf of Mexico following a deep-water oil spill. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 228:179-189. [PMID: 28535489 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The blowout of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) drilling rig in 2010 released an unprecedented amount of oil at depth (1,500 m) into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Sedimentary geochemical data from an extensive area (∼194,000 km2) was used to characterize the amount, chemical signature, distribution, and extent of the DWH oil deposited on the seafloor in 2010-2011 from coastal to deep-sea areas in the GoM. The analysis of numerous hydrocarbon compounds (N = 158) and sediment cores (N = 2,613) suggests that, 1.9 ± 0.9 × 104 metric tons of hydrocarbons (>C9 saturated and aromatic fractions) were deposited in 56% of the studied area, containing 21± 10% (up to 47%) of the total amount of oil discharged and not recovered from the DWH spill. Examination of the spatial trends and chemical diagnostic ratios indicate large deposition of weathered DWH oil in coastal and deep-sea areas and negligible deposition on the continental shelf (behaving as a transition zone in the northern GoM). The large-scale analysis of deposited hydrocarbons following the DWH spill helps understanding the possible long-term fate of the released oil in 2010, including sedimentary transformation processes, redistribution of deposited hydrocarbons, and persistence in the environment as recycled petrocarbon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel C Romero
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA.
| | - Gerardo Toro-Farmer
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
| | - Arne-R Diercks
- University of Southern Mississippi, Abbeville, MS 38601, USA
| | - Patrick Schwing
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
| | - Frank Muller-Karger
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
| | - Steven Murawski
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
| | - David J Hollander
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
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38
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Schwing PT, Brooks GR, Larson RA, Holmes CW, O'Malley BJ, Hollander DJ. Constraining the Spatial Extent of Marine Oil Snow Sedimentation and Flocculent Accumulation Following the Deepwater Horizon Event Using an Excess 210Pb Flux Approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:5962-5968. [PMID: 28502163 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b00450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) event in 2010, there were several lines of evidence indicating the presence of marine oil snow sedimentation and flocculent accumulation (MOSSFA). A significant amount of marine oil snow formed in the water column of the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM), settled rapidly, and ultimately accumulated in the sediments of the nGoM. This study utilized a commonly used radioisotope tracer (excess 210Pb, 210Pbxs) from 32 sediment cores collected from 2010 to 2013 to characterize the spatial extent of MOSSFA on the seafloor. Relative to pre-DWH conditions, an increase in 210Pbxs flux occurred in two distinct regions: (1) in the western portion of the study area on an east-northeast to west-southwest axis, stretching 230 km southwest and 140 km northeast of the DWH wellhead, and (2) in the eastern portion of the study area on a 70 km northeast to southwest axis near the DeSoto Canyon. The total sedimentary spatial extent of MOSSFA, as calculated by increased 210Pbxs flux after 2010, ranged from 12 805 to 35 425 km2. 210Pbxs flux provides a valuable tool for documenting the spatial extent of MOSSFA following DWH and will continue to aid in the determination of advective transport and ultimate depocenters of MOSSFA material.
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Affiliation(s)
- P T Schwing
- University of South Florida , College of Marine Science, 140 7th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33701, United States
| | - G R Brooks
- Eckerd College , 4200 54th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33711, United States
| | - R A Larson
- University of South Florida , College of Marine Science, 140 7th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33701, United States
- Eckerd College , 4200 54th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33711, United States
| | - C W Holmes
- Environchron , 3988 Emerald Chase Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32308, United States
| | - B J O'Malley
- University of South Florida , College of Marine Science, 140 7th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33701, United States
| | - D J Hollander
- University of South Florida , College of Marine Science, 140 7th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33701, United States
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39
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Ferguson RMW, Gontikaki E, Anderson JA, Witte U. The Variable Influence of Dispersant on Degradation of Oil Hydrocarbons in Subarctic Deep-Sea Sediments at Low Temperatures (0-5 °C). Sci Rep 2017; 7:2253. [PMID: 28533547 PMCID: PMC5440406 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02475-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons at low temperatures was investigated in subarctic deep-sea sediments in the Faroe Shetland Channel (FSC). The effect of the marine oil dispersant, Superdispersant 25 on hydrocarbon degradation was also examined. Sediments collected at 500 and 1000 m depth were spiked with a model oil containing 20 hydrocarbons and incubated at ambient temperature (5 and 0 °C, respectively) with and without marine dispersant. Treatment of sediments with hydrocarbons resulted in the enrichment of Gammaproteobacteria, and specifically the genera Pseudoalteromonas, Pseudomonas, Halomonas, and Cobetia. Hydrocarbon degradation was faster at 5 °C (500 m) with 65–89% of each component degraded after 50 days compared to 0–47% degradation at 0 °C (1000 m), where the aromatic hydrocarbons fluoranthene, anthracene, and Dibenzothiophene showed no degradation. Dispersant significantly increased the rate of degradation at 1000 m, but had no effect at 500 m. There was no statistically significant effect of Superdispersant 25 on the bacterial community structure at either station. These results show that the indigenous bacterial community in the FSC has the capacity to mitigate some of the effects of a potential oil spill, however, the effect of dispersant is ambiguous and further research is needed to understand the implications of its use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M W Ferguson
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Science, Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Newburgh, AB41 6AA, UK. .,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK.
| | - Evangelia Gontikaki
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Science, Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Newburgh, AB41 6AA, UK
| | - James A Anderson
- Surface Chemistry and Catalysis Group, School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, UK
| | - Ursula Witte
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Science, Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Newburgh, AB41 6AA, UK
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40
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Suja LD, Summers S, Gutierrez T. Role of EPS, Dispersant and Nutrients on the Microbial Response and MOS Formation in the Subarctic Northeast Atlantic. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:676. [PMID: 28484435 PMCID: PMC5399796 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study we report the formation of marine oil snow (MOS), its associated microbial community, the factors influencing its formation, and the microbial response to crude oil in surface waters of the Faroe-Shetland Channel (FSC). The FSC is a subarctic region that is hydrodynamically complex located in the northeast Atlantic where oil extraction is currently occurring and where exploration is likely to expand into its deeper waters (>500 m). A major oil spill in this region may mirror the aftermath that ensued following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, where the massive influx of Macondo crude oil triggered the formation of copious quantities of rapidly sinking MOS and successional blooms of opportunistic oil-degrading bacteria. In laboratory experiments, we simulated environmental conditions in sea surface waters of the FSC using water collected from this site during the winter of 2015. We demonstrated that the presence of dispersant triggers the formation of MOS, and that nutrient amendments magnify this. Illumina MiSeq sequencing revealed the enrichment on MOS of associated oil-degrading (Cycloclasticus, Thalassolituus, Marinobacter) and EPS-producing (Halomonas, Pseudoalteromonas, Alteromonas) bacteria, and included major representation by Psychrobacter and Cobetia with putative oil-degrading/EPS-producing qualities. The formation of marine snow, in the absence of crude oil and dispersant, in seawater amended with nutrients alone indicated that the de novo synthesis of bacterial EPS is a key factor in MOS formation, and the glycoprotein composition of the MOS aggregates confirmed that its amorphous biopolymeric matrix was of microbial (likely bacterial) origin. The presence of dispersants and crude oil with/without nutrients resulted in distinct microbial responses marked by intermittent, and in some cases short-lived, blooms of opportunistic heterotrophs, principally obligate hydrocarbonoclastic (Alcanivorax, Cycloclasticus, Thalassolituus, Marinobacter) and EPS-producing (Halomonas, Alteromonas, Pseudoalteromonas) bacteria. Interestingly, members of the Vibrionales (principally the genus Vibrio) were strongly enriched by crude oil (with/without dispersant or nutrients), highlighting a putative importance for these organisms in crude oil biodegradation in the FSC. Our findings mirror those observed at DWH and hence underscore their broad relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Duran Suja
- Institute of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt UniversityEdinburgh, UK
| | - Stephen Summers
- Institute of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt UniversityEdinburgh, UK
| | - Tony Gutierrez
- Institute of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt UniversityEdinburgh, UK
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41
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Schwing PT, O'Malley BJ, Romero IC, Martínez-Colón M, Hastings DW, Glabach MA, Hladky EM, Greco A, Hollander DJ. Characterizing the variability of benthic foraminifera in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon event (2010-2012). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:2754-2769. [PMID: 27837470 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7996-z] [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: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) event in 2010 subsurface hydrocarbon intrusions (1000-1300 m) and an order of magnitude increase in flocculent hydrocarbon deposition caused increased concentrations of hydrocarbons in continental slope sediments. This study sought to characterize the variability [density, Fisher's alpha (S), equitability (E), Shannon (H)] of benthic foraminifera following the DWH event. A series of sediment cores were collected at two sites in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico from 2010 to 2012. At each site, three cores were utilized for benthic faunal analysis, organic geochemistry, and redox metal chemistry, respectively. The surface intervals (∼0-10 mm) of the sedimentary records collected in December 2010 at DSH08 and February 2011 at PCB06 were characterized by significant decreases in foraminiferal density, S, E, and H, relative to the down-core intervals as well as previous surveys. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) analysis suggested that a 3-fold increase in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentration in the surface interval, relative to the down-core interval, was the environmental driver of benthic foraminiferal variability. These records suggested that the benthic foraminiferal recovery time, following an event such as the DWH, was on the order of 1-2 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- P T Schwing
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 830 1st St. SE, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA.
| | - B J O'Malley
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 830 1st St. SE, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - I C Romero
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 830 1st St. SE, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - M Martínez-Colón
- Florida A&M University, School of the Environment, 1515 S. Martin L. King Blvd, Tallahassee, FL, 32307, USA
| | - D W Hastings
- Eckerd College, 4200 54th Ave. S, St. Petersburg, FL, 33711, USA
| | - M A Glabach
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 830 1st St. SE, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - E M Hladky
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 830 1st St. SE, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - A Greco
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 830 1st St. SE, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - D J Hollander
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 830 1st St. SE, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
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42
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Stout SA, Payne JR, Ricker RW, Baker G, Lewis C. Macondo oil in deep-sea sediments: Part 2 - Distribution and distinction from background and natural oil seeps. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 111:381-401. [PMID: 27509822 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.07.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the spilled Macondo oil was severely weathered during its transport within the deep-sea plume as discrete particles, which were subsequently deposited on the seafloor. The Macondo oil deposited in deep-sea sediments was distinguished from ambient (background) hydrocarbons and naturally-seeped and genetically-similar oils in the Mississippi Canyon region using a forensic method based upon a systematic, multi-year study of 724 deep-sea sediment cores collected in late 2010 and 2011. The method relied upon: (1) chemical fingerprinting of the distinct features of the wax-rich, severely-weathered Macondo oil; (2) hydrocarbon concentrations, considering a core's proximity to the Macondo well or to known or apparent natural oil seeps, and also vertically within a core; and (3) results from proximal cores and flocculent material from core supernatants and slurp gun filters. The results presented herein establish the geographic extent of "fingerprintable" Macondo oil recognized on the seafloor in 2010/2011.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Stout
- NewFields Environmental Forensics Practice, LLC, 300 Ledgewood Pl., Suite 305, Rockland, MA, United States.
| | - James R Payne
- Payne Environmental Consultants, Inc., 1651 Linda Sue Ln., Encinitas, CA, United States
| | - Robert W Ricker
- NOAA, Assessment and Restoration Division, 1410 Neotomas Ave., Suite 110, Santa Rosa, CA, United States
| | - Gregory Baker
- NOAA, Assessment and Restoration Division, 345 Middlefield Rd., MS-999, Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Christopher Lewis
- Industrial Economics, Incorporated, 2067 Massachusetts Ave., Fourth Floor, Cambridge, MA, United States
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43
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Yang T, Speare K, McKay L, MacGregor BJ, Joye SB, Teske A. Distinct Bacterial Communities in Surficial Seafloor Sediments Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Blowout. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1384. [PMID: 27679609 PMCID: PMC5020131 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A major fraction of the petroleum hydrocarbons discharged during the 2010 Macondo oil spill became associated with and sank to the seafloor as marine snow flocs. This sedimentation pulse induced the development of distinct bacterial communities. Between May 2010 and July 2011, full-length 16S rRNA gene clone libraries demonstrated bacterial community succession in oil-polluted sediment samples near the wellhead area. Libraries from early May 2010, before the sedimentation event, served as the baseline control. Freshly deposited oil-derived marine snow was collected on the surface of sediment cores in September 2010, and was characterized by abundantly detected members of the marine Roseobacter cluster within the Alphaproteobacteria. Samples collected in mid-October 2010 closest to the wellhead contained members of the sulfate-reducing, anaerobic bacterial families Desulfobacteraceae and Desulfobulbaceae within the Deltaproteobacteria, suggesting that the oil-derived sedimentation pulse triggered bacterial oxygen consumption and created patchy anaerobic microniches that favored sulfate-reducing bacteria. Phylotypes of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading genus Cycloclasticus, previously found both in surface oil slicks and the deep hydrocarbon plume, were also found in oil-derived marine snow flocs sedimenting on the seafloor in September 2010, and in surficial sediments collected in October and November 2010, but not in any of the control samples. Due to the relative recalcitrance and stability of polycyclic aromatic compounds, Cycloclasticus represents the most persistent microbial marker of seafloor hydrocarbon deposition that we could identify in this dataset. The bacterial imprint of the DWH oil spill had diminished in late November 2010, when the bacterial communities in oil-impacted sediment samples collected near the Macondo wellhead began to resemble their pre-spill counterparts and spatial controls. Samples collected in summer of 2011 did not show a consistent bacterial community signature, suggesting that the bacterial community was no longer shaped by the DWH fallout of oil-derived marine snow, but instead by location-specific and seasonal factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Yang
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, USA
| | - Kelly Speare
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, USA
| | - Luke McKay
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, USA
| | - Barbara J MacGregor
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, USA
| | - Samantha B Joye
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens GA, USA
| | - Andreas Teske
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, USA
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44
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Schwing PT, Romero IC, Larson RA, O'Malley BJ, Fridrik EE, Goddard EA, Brooks GR, Hastings DW, Rosenheim BE, Hollander DJ, Grant G, Mulhollan J. Sediment Core Extrusion Method at Millimeter Resolution Using a Calibrated, Threaded-rod. J Vis Exp 2016. [PMID: 27585268 PMCID: PMC5091891 DOI: 10.3791/54363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquatic sediment core subsampling is commonly performed at cm or half-cm resolution. Depending on the sedimentation rate and depositional environment, this resolution provides records at the annual to decadal scale, at best. An extrusion method, using a calibrated, threaded-rod is presented here, which allows for millimeter-scale subsampling of aquatic sediment cores of varying diameters. Millimeter scale subsampling allows for sub-annual to monthly analysis of the sedimentary record, an order of magnitude higher than typical sampling schemes. The extruder consists of a 2 m aluminum frame and base, two core tube clamps, a threaded-rod, and a 1 m piston. The sediment core is placed above the piston and clamped to the frame. An acrylic sampling collar is affixed to the upper 5 cm of the core tube and provides a platform from which to extract sub-samples. The piston is rotated around the threaded-rod at calibrated intervals and gently pushes the sediment out the top of the core tube. The sediment is then isolated into the sampling collar and placed into an appropriate sampling vessel (e.g., jar or bag). This method also preserves the unconsolidated samples (i.e., high pore water content) at the surface, providing a consistent sampling volume. This mm scale extrusion method was applied to cores collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon submarine oil release. Evidence suggests that it is necessary to sample at the mm scale to fully characterize events that occur on the monthly time-scale for continental slope sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Guy Grant
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida
| | - Jim Mulhollan
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida
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45
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Yan B, Passow U, Chanton JP, Nöthig EM, Asper V, Sweet J, Pitiranggon M, Diercks A, Pak D. Sustained deposition of contaminants from the Deepwater Horizon spill. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E3332-40. [PMID: 27247393 PMCID: PMC4914201 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1513156113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill resulted in 1.6-2.6 × 10(10) grams of petrocarbon accumulation on the seafloor. Data from a deep sediment trap, deployed 7.4 km SW of the well between August 2010 and October 2011, disclose that the sinking of spill-associated substances, mediated by marine particles, especially phytoplankton, continued at least 5 mo following the capping of the well. In August/September 2010, an exceptionally large diatom bloom sedimentation event coincided with elevated sinking rates of oil-derived hydrocarbons, black carbon, and two key components of drilling mud, barium and olefins. Barium remained in the water column for months and even entered pelagic food webs. Both saturated and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon source indicators corroborate a predominant contribution of crude oil to the sinking hydrocarbons. Cosedimentation with diatoms accumulated contaminants that were dispersed in the water column and transported them downward, where they were concentrated into the upper centimeters of the seafloor, potentially leading to sustained impact on benthic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beizhan Yan
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964;
| | - Uta Passow
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106;
| | - Jeffrey P Chanton
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306
| | - Eva-Maria Nöthig
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, D-27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Vernon Asper
- Department of Marine Science, The University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529
| | - Julia Sweet
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Masha Pitiranggon
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964
| | - Arne Diercks
- Department of Marine Science, The University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529
| | - Dorothy Pak
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
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46
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van Eenennaam JS, Wei Y, Grolle KCF, Foekema EM, Murk AJ. Oil spill dispersants induce formation of marine snow by phytoplankton-associated bacteria. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 104:294-302. [PMID: 26781957 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Revised: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Unusually large amounts of marine snow, including Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS), were formed during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The marine snow settled with oil and clay minerals as an oily sludge layer on the deep sea floor. This study tested the hypothesis that the unprecedented amount of chemical dispersants applied during high phytoplankton densities in the Gulf of Mexico induced high EPS formation. Two marine phytoplankton species (Dunaliella tertiolecta and Phaeodactylum tricornutum) produced EPS within days when exposed to the dispersant Corexit 9500. Phytoplankton-associated bacteria were shown to be responsible for the formation. The EPS consisted of proteins and to lesser extent polysaccharides. This study reveals an unexpected consequence of the presence of phytoplankton. This emphasizes the need to test the action of dispersants under realistic field conditions, which may seriously alter the fate of oil in the environment via increased marine snow formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine S van Eenennaam
- Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Yuzhu Wei
- Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Katja C F Grolle
- Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin M Foekema
- IMARES, Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 57, 1780 AB, Den Helder, The Netherlands
| | - AlberTinka J Murk
- Marine Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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47
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Vonk SM, Hollander DJ, Murk AJ. Was the extreme and wide-spread marine oil-snow sedimentation and flocculent accumulation (MOSSFA) event during the Deepwater Horizon blow-out unique? MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2015; 100:5-12. [PMID: 26359115 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
During the Deepwater Horizon blowout, thick layers of oiled material were deposited on the deep seafloor. This large scale benthic concentration of oil is suggested to have occurred via the process of Marine Oil Snow Sedimentation and Flocculent Accumulation (MOSSFA). This meta-analysis investigates whether MOSSFA occurred in other large oil spills and identifies the main drivers of oil sedimentation. MOSSFA was found to have occurred during the IXTOC I blowout and possibly during the Santa Barbara blowout. Unfortunately, benthic effects were not sufficiently studied for the 52 spills we reviewed. However, based on the current understanding of drivers involved, we conclude that MOSSFA and related benthic contamination may be widespread. We suggest to collect and analyze sediment cores at specific spill locations, as improved understanding of the MOSSFA process will allow better informed spill responses in the future, taking into account possible massive oil sedimentation and smothering of (deep) benthic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie M Vonk
- Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - David J Hollander
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
| | - AlberTinka J Murk
- Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands; Wageningen Institute for Marine Resources & Ecosystem Studies, P.O. Box 68, 1970 AB IJmuiden, The Netherlands
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