Evaluation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution From the HMS Royal Oak Shipwreck and Effects on Sediment Microbial Community Structure
Despite many shipwrecks containing oil there is a paucity of studies investigating their impact on surrounding environments. This study evaluates any potential effect the World War II shipwreck HMS Royal Oak is having on surrounding benthic sediments in Scapa Flow, Scotland. HMS (Her Majesty’s Ship)...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.650139/full |
| _version_ | 1818863582430887936 |
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| author | Gareth E. Thomas Stefan G. Bolam Jan L. Brant Rodney Brash Freya Goodsir Clare Hynes Terry J. McGenity Paul S. O. McIlwaine Boyd A. McKew |
| author_facet | Gareth E. Thomas Stefan G. Bolam Jan L. Brant Rodney Brash Freya Goodsir Clare Hynes Terry J. McGenity Paul S. O. McIlwaine Boyd A. McKew |
| author_sort | Gareth E. Thomas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite many shipwrecks containing oil there is a paucity of studies investigating their impact on surrounding environments. This study evaluates any potential effect the World War II shipwreck HMS Royal Oak is having on surrounding benthic sediments in Scapa Flow, Scotland. HMS (Her Majesty’s Ship) Royal Oak sank in 1939, subsequently leaked oil in the 1960s and 1990s, and is estimated to still hold 697 tonnes of fuel oil. In this study, sediments were analysed, over a 17.5 cm depth profile, along a 50–950 m cruciform transect away from the shipwreck. Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) revealed low concentrations (205.91 ± 50.15 μg kg–1 of dry sediment), which did not significantly differ with either distance from the shipwreck or sediment depth. PAH concentrations were well below the effects-range low (ERL) for the OSPAR (Oslo/Paris convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic) maritime area. The average Pyrogenic Index, in sediments around HMS Royal Oak, was 1.06 (±0.34), indicating PAHs were pyrogenic rather than petrogenic. Moreover, analysis of sediment microbiomes revealed no significant differences in bacterial community structure with distance from the shipwreck, with extremely low levels of obligate hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria (OHCB; 0.21% ± 0.54%). Both lines of evidence suggest that sampled sediments are not currently being impacted by petrogenic hydrocarbons and show no long-term impact by previous oil-spills from HMS Royal Oak. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T10:18:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4a3eb52eb19f4b3d904a2662227b693c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T10:18:03Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-4a3eb52eb19f4b3d904a2662227b693c2022-12-21T20:26:10ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452021-04-01810.3389/fmars.2021.650139650139Evaluation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution From the HMS Royal Oak Shipwreck and Effects on Sediment Microbial Community StructureGareth E. Thomas0Stefan G. Bolam1Jan L. Brant2Rodney Brash3Freya Goodsir4Clare Hynes5Terry J. McGenity6Paul S. O. McIlwaine7Boyd A. McKew8School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United KingdomCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Lowestoft Laboratory, Lowestoft, United KingdomCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Lowestoft Laboratory, Lowestoft, United KingdomCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Lowestoft Laboratory, Lowestoft, United KingdomCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Lowestoft Laboratory, Lowestoft, United KingdomCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Lowestoft Laboratory, Lowestoft, United KingdomSchool of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United KingdomCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Lowestoft Laboratory, Lowestoft, United KingdomSchool of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United KingdomDespite many shipwrecks containing oil there is a paucity of studies investigating their impact on surrounding environments. This study evaluates any potential effect the World War II shipwreck HMS Royal Oak is having on surrounding benthic sediments in Scapa Flow, Scotland. HMS (Her Majesty’s Ship) Royal Oak sank in 1939, subsequently leaked oil in the 1960s and 1990s, and is estimated to still hold 697 tonnes of fuel oil. In this study, sediments were analysed, over a 17.5 cm depth profile, along a 50–950 m cruciform transect away from the shipwreck. Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) revealed low concentrations (205.91 ± 50.15 μg kg–1 of dry sediment), which did not significantly differ with either distance from the shipwreck or sediment depth. PAH concentrations were well below the effects-range low (ERL) for the OSPAR (Oslo/Paris convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic) maritime area. The average Pyrogenic Index, in sediments around HMS Royal Oak, was 1.06 (±0.34), indicating PAHs were pyrogenic rather than petrogenic. Moreover, analysis of sediment microbiomes revealed no significant differences in bacterial community structure with distance from the shipwreck, with extremely low levels of obligate hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria (OHCB; 0.21% ± 0.54%). Both lines of evidence suggest that sampled sediments are not currently being impacted by petrogenic hydrocarbons and show no long-term impact by previous oil-spills from HMS Royal Oak.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.650139/fullHMS Royal Oakoil spillPAHScapa FlowOHCBsediment |
| spellingShingle | Gareth E. Thomas Stefan G. Bolam Jan L. Brant Rodney Brash Freya Goodsir Clare Hynes Terry J. McGenity Paul S. O. McIlwaine Boyd A. McKew Evaluation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution From the HMS Royal Oak Shipwreck and Effects on Sediment Microbial Community Structure Frontiers in Marine Science HMS Royal Oak oil spill PAH Scapa Flow OHCB sediment |
| title | Evaluation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution From the HMS Royal Oak Shipwreck and Effects on Sediment Microbial Community Structure |
| title_full | Evaluation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution From the HMS Royal Oak Shipwreck and Effects on Sediment Microbial Community Structure |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution From the HMS Royal Oak Shipwreck and Effects on Sediment Microbial Community Structure |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution From the HMS Royal Oak Shipwreck and Effects on Sediment Microbial Community Structure |
| title_short | Evaluation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution From the HMS Royal Oak Shipwreck and Effects on Sediment Microbial Community Structure |
| title_sort | evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution from the hms royal oak shipwreck and effects on sediment microbial community structure |
| topic | HMS Royal Oak oil spill PAH Scapa Flow OHCB sediment |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.650139/full |
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