Radiocarbon evidence that carbon from the Deepwater Horizon spill entered the planktonic food web of the Gulf of Mexico
The Deepwater Horizon (Macondo) oil spill released large volumes of oil and gas of distinct carbon isotopic composition to the northern Gulf of Mexico, allowing Graham et al (2010 Environ. Res. Lett. 5 045301) to use stable carbon isotopes (δ ^13 C) to infer the introduction of spilled oil into the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2012-01-01
|
| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045303 |
| _version_ | 1797748519380975616 |
|---|---|
| author | J P Chanton J Cherrier R M Wilson J Sarkodee-Adoo S Bosman A Mickle W M Graham |
| author_facet | J P Chanton J Cherrier R M Wilson J Sarkodee-Adoo S Bosman A Mickle W M Graham |
| author_sort | J P Chanton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Deepwater Horizon (Macondo) oil spill released large volumes of oil and gas of distinct carbon isotopic composition to the northern Gulf of Mexico, allowing Graham et al (2010 Environ. Res. Lett. 5 045301) to use stable carbon isotopes (δ ^13 C) to infer the introduction of spilled oil into the planktonic food web. Surface ocean organic production and measured oil are separated by 5–7‰ in stable carbon isotope (δ ^13 C) space, while in radiocarbon (Δ ^14 C) space these two potential sources are separated by more than 1000‰. Thus radiocarbon isotopes provide a more sensitive tracer by which to infer possible introduction of Macondo oil into the food web. We measured Δ ^14 C and δ ^13 C in plankton collected from within 100 km of the spill site as well as in coastal and offshore DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon or ΣCO _2 ) to constrain surface production values. On average, plankton values were depleted in ^14 C relative to surface DIC, and we found a significant linear correlation between Δ ^14 C and δ ^13 C in plankton. Cumulatively, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that carbon released from the Deepwater Horizon spill contributed to the offshore planktonic food web. Our results support the findings of Graham et al (2010 Environ. Res. Lett. 5 045301), but we infer that methane input may be important. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:06:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d2dc96feda8a403ca9233c5523230dfa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:06:58Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-d2dc96feda8a403ca9233c5523230dfa2023-08-09T14:20:33ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262012-01-017404530310.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045303Radiocarbon evidence that carbon from the Deepwater Horizon spill entered the planktonic food web of the Gulf of MexicoJ P Chanton0J Cherrier1R M Wilson2J Sarkodee-Adoo3S Bosman4A Mickle5W M Graham6Department of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University , Tallahassee, FL 32306, USASchool of the Environment, Florida A&M University , Tallahassee, FL 32307, USADepartment of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University , Tallahassee, FL 32306, USASchool of the Environment, Florida A&M University , Tallahassee, FL 32307, USAFlorida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, Florida State University , St Teresa, FL 32358, USADepartment of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University , Tallahassee, FL 32306, USADauphin Island Sea Lab , Dauphin Island, AL 36528, USAThe Deepwater Horizon (Macondo) oil spill released large volumes of oil and gas of distinct carbon isotopic composition to the northern Gulf of Mexico, allowing Graham et al (2010 Environ. Res. Lett. 5 045301) to use stable carbon isotopes (δ ^13 C) to infer the introduction of spilled oil into the planktonic food web. Surface ocean organic production and measured oil are separated by 5–7‰ in stable carbon isotope (δ ^13 C) space, while in radiocarbon (Δ ^14 C) space these two potential sources are separated by more than 1000‰. Thus radiocarbon isotopes provide a more sensitive tracer by which to infer possible introduction of Macondo oil into the food web. We measured Δ ^14 C and δ ^13 C in plankton collected from within 100 km of the spill site as well as in coastal and offshore DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon or ΣCO _2 ) to constrain surface production values. On average, plankton values were depleted in ^14 C relative to surface DIC, and we found a significant linear correlation between Δ ^14 C and δ ^13 C in plankton. Cumulatively, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that carbon released from the Deepwater Horizon spill contributed to the offshore planktonic food web. Our results support the findings of Graham et al (2010 Environ. Res. Lett. 5 045301), but we infer that methane input may be important.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045303radiocarboncarbon isotopepetroleum hydrocarbonmethaneGulf oil spill |
| spellingShingle | J P Chanton J Cherrier R M Wilson J Sarkodee-Adoo S Bosman A Mickle W M Graham Radiocarbon evidence that carbon from the Deepwater Horizon spill entered the planktonic food web of the Gulf of Mexico Environmental Research Letters radiocarbon carbon isotope petroleum hydrocarbon methane Gulf oil spill |
| title | Radiocarbon evidence that carbon from the Deepwater Horizon spill entered the planktonic food web of the Gulf of Mexico |
| title_full | Radiocarbon evidence that carbon from the Deepwater Horizon spill entered the planktonic food web of the Gulf of Mexico |
| title_fullStr | Radiocarbon evidence that carbon from the Deepwater Horizon spill entered the planktonic food web of the Gulf of Mexico |
| title_full_unstemmed | Radiocarbon evidence that carbon from the Deepwater Horizon spill entered the planktonic food web of the Gulf of Mexico |
| title_short | Radiocarbon evidence that carbon from the Deepwater Horizon spill entered the planktonic food web of the Gulf of Mexico |
| title_sort | radiocarbon evidence that carbon from the deepwater horizon spill entered the planktonic food web of the gulf of mexico |
| topic | radiocarbon carbon isotope petroleum hydrocarbon methane Gulf oil spill |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045303 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jpchanton radiocarbonevidencethatcarbonfromthedeepwaterhorizonspillenteredtheplanktonicfoodwebofthegulfofmexico AT jcherrier radiocarbonevidencethatcarbonfromthedeepwaterhorizonspillenteredtheplanktonicfoodwebofthegulfofmexico AT rmwilson radiocarbonevidencethatcarbonfromthedeepwaterhorizonspillenteredtheplanktonicfoodwebofthegulfofmexico AT jsarkodeeadoo radiocarbonevidencethatcarbonfromthedeepwaterhorizonspillenteredtheplanktonicfoodwebofthegulfofmexico AT sbosman radiocarbonevidencethatcarbonfromthedeepwaterhorizonspillenteredtheplanktonicfoodwebofthegulfofmexico AT amickle radiocarbonevidencethatcarbonfromthedeepwaterhorizonspillenteredtheplanktonicfoodwebofthegulfofmexico AT wmgraham radiocarbonevidencethatcarbonfromthedeepwaterhorizonspillenteredtheplanktonicfoodwebofthegulfofmexico |