Lethal and sub-lethal effects of Deepwater Horizon slick oil and dispersant on oyster (Crassostrea virginica) larvae

• Published in: Marine Environmental Research
• Main Authors: Vignier, J., Soudant, Philippe, Chu, F. L. E., Morris, J. M., Carney, M. W., Lay, C. R., Krasnec, M. O., Robert, R., Volety, A. K.
• Other Authors: Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin (LEMAR) (LEMAR), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (IUEM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Florida Gulf Coast University, Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), This work was supported by funds provided as part of the natural resource damage assessment for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2016
• Subjects: exxon-valdez; early-life stages; Deepwater Horizon oil spill; gigas; growth; larvae; acute toxicity; american oyster; Corexit 9500A (R); Crassostrea virginica; crude-oil; fish embryos; pacific oyster; PAH; pah uptake; polycyclic aromatic-hydrocarbons; Settlement; ACL; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; Pacific; Pacific oyster
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-01483192; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.07.006

International audience In April 2010, crude oil was spilled from the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil platform for 87 days, coincident with the spawning season and recruitment of the oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in the Gulf of Mexico. Impacts of acute exposures to surface-collected DWH oil (HEWAF), dispersed oil (CEWAF) and dispersant alone (Corexit 9500A (R)) on planktonic larval stages of C. virginica (veliger, umbo and pediveliger) were tested in the laboratory. Exposures to HEWAF, CEWAF and dispersant were toxic to larvae impairing growth, settlement success and ultimately survival. Larval growth and settlement were reduced at concentrations of tPAH50 ranging from 1.7 to 106 mu g L-1 for HEWAF and 1.1-35 mu g L-1 for CEWAF, concentrations well within the range of water sampled during the DWH oil spill. Sublethal effects induced by oil and dispersant could have significant ecological implications on oyster populations and on the whole estuarine ecosystem.