Project Information

Title: Deep Water Benthic ST02-B

Project Year and Number: 1992: ST02-B

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 1991: ST02-B, 1990: AW02, 1989: AW02

Principal Investigator (PI): Howard Feder (University of Alaska Fairbanks)

Managing Agency: ADFG

Assisting Personnel: None

Research Location: Prince William Sound

Restoration Category: Damage Assessment

Injured Resources Addressed: Sediments

Abstract: Part I A peer review of the Status Report for this project suggests that the biological data be reanalyzed to sort out sedimentological effects and to relate biotic parameters to petroleum contaminants in sediments. The objective of this work is to complete sediment analyses for all stations examined and to analyze the data to relate the biological results to sediment parameters as suggested by the peer review. Part II Assuming that re-analysis of the deep benthic biological data relative to sediment parameters at the study sites reinforces the conclusions in Feder (1991), the deep benthic study will be continued until all samples have been examined and a Final Report can be written. The fourteen study sites chosen on the NOAA ship in July 1990 were selected at random with seven oiled and seven unoiled sites chosen. It is the intent of this damage assessment final report to compare all of the 1990 and 1991 deep benthic biological and associated sediment data from oiled and unoiled bays in Prince William Sound. The composition of the marine benthic fauna has been successfully used at various locations throughout the industrial world as a basis for measuring effects of pollutants on the bottom, inclusive of oil that has settled after oil spills. Assessment of the benthic fauna within Prince William Sound should prove useful for assessing biological effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in the Sound. Preliminary examination of benthic biological data from the 14 sites, three depths at a site, suggests that oil on the bottom in bays subjected to impact from the Exxon Valdez oil spill may have affected the faunal composition. Verification of this suggestion is contingent upon analysis of sediment differences between sites and petroleum hydrocarbon composition on the bottom at the sites. The former analysis is to be completed no later than May 30, 1992.


Proposal: Not Available

Reports:
Final Report: View (3,571 KB)

Publications from this Project: None Available