How Were Phytoplankton Affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill?

Abstract

A literature review demonstrates that crude oil spills can affect phytoplankton, favoring the growth of some while inhibiting the growth of others. Subsequently, the phytoplankton assemblage can change as a result of exposure to crude oil. Studies of phytoplankton responses to the Macondo (Deepwater Horizon) oil spill indicate that the phytoplankton may have been stimulated by the oil spill, although the presence of low-salinity water in the region makes it difficult to discount the importance of riverine-borne nutrients as a factor. A few studies suggest that the oil spill was toxic to some phytoplankton species, whereas others indicate that the degree of tolerance to the oil or to dispersants differs among species. These results generally comply with findings of previous studies, but a lack of published field data analyses prevents further assessment of the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on phytoplankton population dynamics in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Next‐Generation Sequencing Assessment of Eukaryotic Diversity in Oil Sands Tailings Ponds Sediments and Surface Water

“…,b; Ozhan et al. ), or chemical by‐products such as salts and naphthenic acids (Leung et al. ) are introduced.…”

“…However, little is known about their presence or ecological roles in highly anthropogenically influenced environments, although the effect of crude oil on the cell biology and survival of phytoplankton has been investigated (Ozhan et al. inter alia). Thus, we hypothesized that eukaryotic microorganisms may be present in oil sands tailings ponds where their activity could influence hydrocarbon biodegradation and greenhouse gas emissions by modulating bacterial populations and improving carbon flow through the system (Gertler et al.…”

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“…Previous individual-and community-level oil exposure studies emphasize that certain groups have a greater sensitivity to crude oil (Gilde & Pinckney 2012;González et al 2013;Ozhan, Parsons & Bargu, 2014b). However, due to inconsistent reports, it remains difficult to conclude directly that a certain group is more resistant to oil than other groups.…”

Induction of reactive oxygen species in marine phytoplankton under crude oil exposure

“…The increase of crude oil concentration was not accompanied by a change of the Chl a content in cells of D. brightwellii and H. triquetra. Previously, some studies (Tukaj 1987;Koshikawa et al 2007;Sargian et al 2007;Aksmann and Tukaj 2008;Ozhan et al 2014a) reported changes in chlorophyll pigments as a target for crude oil toxicity in phytoplankton. While Koshikawa et al (2007) and Aksmann and Tukaj (2008) reported that there was no significant effect of crude oil in Chl a content; Tukaj (1987) and Sargian et al (2007) observed some changes in Chl a content of phytoplankton under crude oil exposure.…”