Timelines and mechanisms of wildlife population recovery following the Exxon Valdez oil spill

Esler, Daniel; Ballachey, Brenda E.; Matkin, Craig O.; Cushing, Daniel A.; Kaler, Robert; Bodkin, James L.; Monson, Daniel H.; Esslinger, George G.; Kloecker, Kimberly A.

doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.04.007

Cited by 36 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 53 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The Gulf of Alaska has extensive long-term monitoring programs, many of which were established in response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the need to assess long-term recovery of injured resources given highly variable environmental conditions 30 , 31 . We leveraged data from this wealth of long-term monitoring programs to assess how the northern GOA ecosystem, including intertidal to oceanic domains and primary production to commercial fisheries (Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem response persists after a prolonged marine heatwave

Suryan

Arimitsu

Coletti

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

Self Cite

163

127

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Some of the longest and most comprehensive marine ecosystem monitoring programs were established in the Gulf of Alaska following the environmental disaster of the Exxon Valdez oil spill over 30 years ago. These monitoring programs have been successful in assessing recovery from oil spill impacts, and their continuation decades later has now provided an unparalleled assessment of ecosystem responses to another newly emerging global threat, marine heatwaves. The 2014–2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave (PMH) in the Gulf of Alaska was the longest lasting heatwave globally over the past decade, with some cooling, but also continued warm conditions through 2019. Our analysis of 187 time series from primary production to commercial fisheries and nearshore intertidal to offshore oceanic domains demonstrate abrupt changes across trophic levels, with many responses persisting up to at least 5 years after the onset of the heatwave. Furthermore, our suite of metrics showed novel community-level groupings relative to at least a decade prior to the heatwave. Given anticipated increases in marine heatwaves under current climate projections, it remains uncertain when or if the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem will return to a pre-PMH state.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem response persists after a prolonged marine heatwave

Suryan

Arimitsu

Coletti

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

Self Cite

163

127

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Additionally, based on mortality estimates from haulout sites, at least 302 harbor seals died (Frost et al 1994a) and 26% fewer pups were produced at oiled sites in 1989 (Frost et al 1994a). Sea otter abundance recovered to pre-spill estimates nearly 25 years following the EVOS (Esler et al 2018). Delayed recovery for those sea otters was attributed to exposure to lingering petroleum; exposure was exacerbated by life history traits and species specific behaviours such as high site fidelity and foraging habits (Esler et al 2018).…”

Section: Mortality and Long Term Population Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sea otter abundance recovered to pre-spill estimates nearly 25 years following the EVOS (Esler et al 2018). Delayed recovery for those sea otters was attributed to exposure to lingering petroleum; exposure was exacerbated by life history traits and species specific behaviours such as high site fidelity and foraging habits (Esler et al 2018).…”

Section: Mortality and Long Term Population Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of petroleum toxicity and identifying common endpoints for future research on diluted bitumen toxicity in marine mammals

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Large volumes of conventional crude oil continue to be shipped by sea from production to consumption areas across the globe. In addition, unconventional petroleum products also transverse pelagic habitats; for example, diluted bitumen from Canada’s oilsands which is shipped along the Pacific coast to the United States and Asia. Therefore, there is a continuing need to assess the toxicological consequences of chronic and catastrophic petroleum spillage on marine wildlife. Peer-reviewed literature on the toxicity of unconventional petroleum such as diluted bitumen exists for teleost fish, but not for fauna such as marine mammals. In order to inform research needs for unconventional petroleum toxicity we conducted a comprehensive literature review of conventional petroleum toxicity on marine mammals. The common endpoints observed in conventional crude oil exposures and oil spills include hematological injury, modulation of immune function and organ weight, genotoxicity, eye irritation, neurotoxicity, lung disease, adrenal dysfunction, metabolic and clinical abnormalities related to oiling of the pelage, behavioural impacts, decreased reproductive success, mortality, and population-level declines. Based on our findings and the body of literature we accessed, our recommendations for future research include: 1) improved baseline data on PAH and metals exposure in marine mammals, 2) improved pre- and post-spill data on marine mammal populations, 3) the use of surrogate mammalian models for petroleum toxicity testing, and 4) the need for empirical data on the toxicity of unconventional petroleum to marine mammals.

show abstract

“…Short of proving lethal, however, external (dermal) oil-contamination and respiratory exposures in birds induces increased lung-epithelial CYP1A expression, skin irritation, conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers, and also reduces the feathers' capacity to repel water, which leads to increased heat loss, and reductions in insulating capacities, buoyancy, and flight performance (Leighton, 1993;Jenssen, 1994;O'Hara and Morandin, 2010;Munilla et al, 2011;Fiorello et al, 2016;Maggini et al, 2017b;Dubansky et al, 2018). Beyond these effects of dermal and respiratory oil exposures, after an oil spill many birds continue being orally exposed for months and even for decades to varying concentrations of petroleum leading also for sublethal effects (Alexander et al, 2017;Esler et al, 2018). Oral exposure to oil occurs via ingestion of contaminated prey, grit and water during foraging, and also occurs during attempts for cleaning (preening) of oilcontaminated feathers (Hartung and Hunt, 1966;Pritsos et al, 2017b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary Exposure to Low Levels of Crude Oil Affects Physiological and Morphological Phenotype in Adults and Their Eggs and Hatchlings of the King Quail (Coturnix chinensis)

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Despite the current knowledge of the devastating effects of external exposure to crude oil on animal mortality, the study of developmental, transgenerational effects of such exposure has received little attention. We used the king quail as an animal model to determine if chronic dietary exposure to crude oil in a parental population would affect morpho-physiological phenotypic variables in their immediate offspring generation. Adult quail were separated into three groups: (1) Control, and two experimental groups dietarily exposed for at least 3 weeks to (2) Low (800 PAH ng/g food), or (3) High (2,400 PAH ng/g food) levels of crude oil. To determine the parental influence on their offspring, we measured metabolic and respiratory physiology in exposed parents and in their non-exposed eggs and hatchlings. Body mass and numerous metabolic (e.g., O2 consumption, CO2 production) and respiratory (e.g., ventilation frequency and volume) variables did not vary between control and oil exposed parental groups. In contrast, blood PO2, PCO2, and SO2 varied among parental groups. Notably, water loss though the eggshell was increased in eggs from High oil level exposed parents. Respiratory variables of hatchlings did not vary between populations, but hatchlings obtained from High oil-exposed parents exhibited lower capacities to maintain body temperature while exposed to a cooling protocol in comparison to hatchlings from Low- and Control-derived parents. The present study demonstrates that parental exposure to crude oil via diet impacts some aspects of physiological performance of the subsequent first (F1) generation.

show abstract

Timelines and mechanisms of wildlife population recovery following the Exxon Valdez oil spill

Cited by 36 publications

References 53 publications

Ecosystem response persists after a prolonged marine heatwave

Ecosystem response persists after a prolonged marine heatwave

Review of petroleum toxicity and identifying common endpoints for future research on diluted bitumen toxicity in marine mammals

Dietary Exposure to Low Levels of Crude Oil Affects Physiological and Morphological Phenotype in Adults and Their Eggs and Hatchlings of the King Quail (Coturnix chinensis)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About