Evidence of population-level impacts and resiliency for Gulf of Mexico shelf taxa following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The goal of this paper was to review the evidence of population-level impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWH) on Gulf of Mexico (GOM) continental shelf taxa, as well as evidence of resiliency following the DWH. There is considerable environmental and biological evidence that GOM shelf taxa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-08-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1198163/full |
| _version_ | 1797744340287619072 |
|---|---|
| author | William F. Patterson Kelly Lynn Robinson Beverly K. Barnett Matthew D. Campbell David C. Chagaris Jeffrey P. Chanton Kendra L. Daly David S. Hanisko Frank J. Hernandez Steven A. Murawski Adam G. Pollack David S. Portnoy Erin L. Pulster |
| author_facet | William F. Patterson Kelly Lynn Robinson Beverly K. Barnett Matthew D. Campbell David C. Chagaris Jeffrey P. Chanton Kendra L. Daly David S. Hanisko Frank J. Hernandez Steven A. Murawski Adam G. Pollack David S. Portnoy Erin L. Pulster |
| author_sort | William F. Patterson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The goal of this paper was to review the evidence of population-level impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWH) on Gulf of Mexico (GOM) continental shelf taxa, as well as evidence of resiliency following the DWH. There is considerable environmental and biological evidence that GOM shelf taxa were exposed to and suffered direct and indirect impacts of the DWH. Numerous assessments, from mesocosm studies to analysis of biopsied tissue or tissue samples from necropsied animals, revealed a constellation of physiological effects related to DWH impacts on GOM biota, some of which clearly or likely resulted in mortality. While the estimated concentrations of hydrocarbons in shelf waters and sediments were orders of magnitude lower than measured in inshore or deep GOM environments, the level of mortality observed or predicted was substantial for many shelf taxa. In some cases, such as for zooplankton, community shifts following the spill were ephemeral, likely reflecting high rates of population turnover and productivity. In other taxa, such as GOM reef fishes, impacts of the spill are confounded with other stressors, such as fishing mortality or the appearance and rapid population growth of invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.). In yet others, such as cetaceans, modeling efforts to predict population-level effects of the DWH made conservative assumptions given the species’ protected status, which post-DWH population assessments either failed to detect or population increases were estimated. A persistent theme that emerged was the lack of precise population-level data or assessments prior to the DWH for many taxa, but even when data or assessments did exist, examining evidence of population resiliency was confounded by other stressors impacting GOM biota. Unless efforts are made to increase the resolution of the data or precision of population assessments, difficulties will likely remain in estimating the scale of population-level effects or resiliency in the case of future large-scale environmental catastrophes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:09:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8d348ef917d14d5794e90ffbea98100a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:09:22Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-8d348ef917d14d5794e90ffbea98100a2023-08-12T00:09:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452023-08-011010.3389/fmars.2023.11981631198163Evidence of population-level impacts and resiliency for Gulf of Mexico shelf taxa following the Deepwater Horizon oil spillWilliam F. Patterson0Kelly Lynn Robinson1Beverly K. Barnett2Matthew D. Campbell3David C. Chagaris4Jeffrey P. Chanton5Kendra L. Daly6David S. Hanisko7Frank J. Hernandez8Steven A. Murawski9Adam G. Pollack10David S. Portnoy11Erin L. Pulster12School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United StatesDepartment of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, United StatesSoutheast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Panama City, FL, United StatesNational Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Pascagoula, MS, United StatesNature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida, Cedar Key, FL, United StatesDepartment of Earth Ocean & Atmospheric, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United StatesCollege of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, United StatesNational Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Pascagoula, MS, United StatesNational Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Pascagoula, MS, United StatesCollege of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, United StatesNational Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Pascagoula, MS, United StatesDepartment of Biology, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, United StatesUnited States Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, MO, United StatesThe goal of this paper was to review the evidence of population-level impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWH) on Gulf of Mexico (GOM) continental shelf taxa, as well as evidence of resiliency following the DWH. There is considerable environmental and biological evidence that GOM shelf taxa were exposed to and suffered direct and indirect impacts of the DWH. Numerous assessments, from mesocosm studies to analysis of biopsied tissue or tissue samples from necropsied animals, revealed a constellation of physiological effects related to DWH impacts on GOM biota, some of which clearly or likely resulted in mortality. While the estimated concentrations of hydrocarbons in shelf waters and sediments were orders of magnitude lower than measured in inshore or deep GOM environments, the level of mortality observed or predicted was substantial for many shelf taxa. In some cases, such as for zooplankton, community shifts following the spill were ephemeral, likely reflecting high rates of population turnover and productivity. In other taxa, such as GOM reef fishes, impacts of the spill are confounded with other stressors, such as fishing mortality or the appearance and rapid population growth of invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.). In yet others, such as cetaceans, modeling efforts to predict population-level effects of the DWH made conservative assumptions given the species’ protected status, which post-DWH population assessments either failed to detect or population increases were estimated. A persistent theme that emerged was the lack of precise population-level data or assessments prior to the DWH for many taxa, but even when data or assessments did exist, examining evidence of population resiliency was confounded by other stressors impacting GOM biota. Unless efforts are made to increase the resolution of the data or precision of population assessments, difficulties will likely remain in estimating the scale of population-level effects or resiliency in the case of future large-scale environmental catastrophes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1198163/fullDeepwater HorizonGulf of Mexicocontinental shelfresiliencypopulation effects |
| spellingShingle | William F. Patterson Kelly Lynn Robinson Beverly K. Barnett Matthew D. Campbell David C. Chagaris Jeffrey P. Chanton Kendra L. Daly David S. Hanisko Frank J. Hernandez Steven A. Murawski Adam G. Pollack David S. Portnoy Erin L. Pulster Evidence of population-level impacts and resiliency for Gulf of Mexico shelf taxa following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill Frontiers in Marine Science Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico continental shelf resiliency population effects |
| title | Evidence of population-level impacts and resiliency for Gulf of Mexico shelf taxa following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill |
| title_full | Evidence of population-level impacts and resiliency for Gulf of Mexico shelf taxa following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill |
| title_fullStr | Evidence of population-level impacts and resiliency for Gulf of Mexico shelf taxa following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evidence of population-level impacts and resiliency for Gulf of Mexico shelf taxa following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill |
| title_short | Evidence of population-level impacts and resiliency for Gulf of Mexico shelf taxa following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill |
| title_sort | evidence of population level impacts and resiliency for gulf of mexico shelf taxa following the deepwater horizon oil spill |
| topic | Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico continental shelf resiliency population effects |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1198163/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT williamfpatterson evidenceofpopulationlevelimpactsandresiliencyforgulfofmexicoshelftaxafollowingthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill AT kellylynnrobinson evidenceofpopulationlevelimpactsandresiliencyforgulfofmexicoshelftaxafollowingthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill AT beverlykbarnett evidenceofpopulationlevelimpactsandresiliencyforgulfofmexicoshelftaxafollowingthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill AT matthewdcampbell evidenceofpopulationlevelimpactsandresiliencyforgulfofmexicoshelftaxafollowingthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill AT davidcchagaris evidenceofpopulationlevelimpactsandresiliencyforgulfofmexicoshelftaxafollowingthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill AT jeffreypchanton evidenceofpopulationlevelimpactsandresiliencyforgulfofmexicoshelftaxafollowingthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill AT kendraldaly evidenceofpopulationlevelimpactsandresiliencyforgulfofmexicoshelftaxafollowingthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill AT davidshanisko evidenceofpopulationlevelimpactsandresiliencyforgulfofmexicoshelftaxafollowingthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill AT frankjhernandez evidenceofpopulationlevelimpactsandresiliencyforgulfofmexicoshelftaxafollowingthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill AT stevenamurawski evidenceofpopulationlevelimpactsandresiliencyforgulfofmexicoshelftaxafollowingthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill AT adamgpollack evidenceofpopulationlevelimpactsandresiliencyforgulfofmexicoshelftaxafollowingthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill AT davidsportnoy evidenceofpopulationlevelimpactsandresiliencyforgulfofmexicoshelftaxafollowingthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill AT erinlpulster evidenceofpopulationlevelimpactsandresiliencyforgulfofmexicoshelftaxafollowingthedeepwaterhorizonoilspill |