Project Information

Title: Petroleum Hydrocarbon Induced Injury to Subtidal Marine Sediment Resources AW02

Project Year and Number: 1990: AW02

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 1992: ST02-B, 1991: ST02-B, 1989: AW02

Principal Investigator (PI):

Managing Agency: NOAA

Assisting Personnel: None

Research Location: All Spill Affected Areas

Restoration Category: Damage Assessment

Injured Resources Addressed: Sediments, Subtidal Organisms

Abstract: This project will evaluate the extent of subtidal hydrocarbon contamination in PWS, along the Lower Kenai Peninsula, and near Kodiak Island. The purpose of this study will be to determine to what depth petroleum hydrocarbons have been transported over the winter months of 1989/90, to continue the time-course of data acquisition necessary to answer the question of persistence of petroleum hydrocarbons in subtidal sediments, and to determine the impact of oiling upon subtidal resources. Three projects formerly funded under A/W Study 4 will be included in this study. The first enumerates hydrocarbon oxidizing bacteria and assesses the maximum potential for ‘in situ' biodegradation of selected hydrocarbons at various sites within and outside of PWS. Coupled with data on ambient hydrocarbon concentratons, the microbial data will allow a gross estimate of the maximum possible rate of bacterial hydrocarbon oxidation ‘in situ' to be made. The second project will screen sediments for petroleum hydrocarbons using ultra-violet fluorescence spectrophotometry and will assess the toxicity of marine sediments using the luminescent marine bacterium Photobacterium phosphoreum to test for aqueous toxicants. The third project titled “Injury to Deep Benthos” will examine the injury, if any, to infaunal communities below a depth bof 20m in bays adjacent to eel grass beds.


Proposal: Not Available

Reports:
Final Report: See Project ST02-B

Publications from this Project: None Available