Summary: | Progress Code: completed This metadata record contains the results of bioassays conducted to characterise the response of Antarctic nearshore marine invertebrates to hydrocarbon contaminants in fuels commonly used in Antarctica. AAS Project 3054. The results of Season 2 and Season 3 amphipod tests are in this dataset. Ecotoxicological bioassays were conducted at Davis and Casey Stations in 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12 summer seasons to test the sensitivity of marine invertebrates to fuels in seawater. The three fuel types used in this project were: Special Antarctic Blend diesel (SAB), Marine Gas Oil diesel (MGO) and an intermediate grade (180) of marine bunker Fuel Oil (IFO). Test treatments were obtained by experimentally mixing fuel and seawater in temperature control cabinets at -1 degrees C to prepare a mixture of fuel hydrocarbons in filtered seawater (FSW) termed the Water Accommodated Fraction (WAF). WAF was produced by adding fuel to seawater in 5 L or 10 L Pyrex glass bottles using a ratio of 1:25 Fuel : FSW. This mixture was stirred at slow speed with minimal vortex for 18 h on a magnetic stirrer. The mixture was settled for 6 h before the water portion was drawn from beneath the fuel. This dataset contains the results of ecotoxicological bioassays with near-shore marine amphipod species exposed to WAFs of SAB WAF, MGO WAF and IFO WAF (specified above). Experimental treatments consisted of undiluted 100% WAF and dilutions of 10% and 1% of WAFs in FSW, to test the toxicity of water accommodated fractions of these three fuels on Antarctic marine invertebrates. The majority of experiments tested WAFs of each of the three fuels, although one tested SAB only due to limited supply of test organisms. Bioassays were conducted in open vessels (glass jars or beakers) in temperature controlled cabinets. Mortality and/or sub-lethal effects were observed at endpoints of 24 h, 48 h, 96 h, 7 d, 8 d, 10 d, 12 d, 14 d, 16 d and 21 d. New WAF solutions were prepared at 4 d intervals to replenish the experimental ...
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