Trophic Transfer of Oil Contaminants from Menhaden Fish: Will the Gulf Oil Spill Effect NJ?

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 resulted in record amounts of oil and dispersants that potentially could be circulated far from the spill origin. Research was conducted to examine the possibility of transfer of oil compounds into the marine foodchain. Specifically, the pathway of oil uptake by menhaden in the Gulf of Mexico, a fish that migrates to waters off the coast of Virginia. In these waters predators, including striped bass and bluefish, feed on these fish and migrate north along the Atlantic Coast including New Jersey’s waters. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed as the signature of the oil spill in menhaden oil from three locations (NJ, VA and LA). Other menhaden tissues were analyzed for PAHs from each of the three locations. The current health of menhaden were examined by histopathological examinations of several tissues. Trophic transfer of PAHs from menhaden into bluefish was also investigated to determine if it was feasible for distant oil spills to affect migratory fish in New Jersey’s waters.