Pristane (2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane) concentrations in mussels (Mytilus trossulus) increase abruptly during spring in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska. This increase is mainly due to ingestion by mussels of pristane-laden feces produced by near-shore zooplanktivores, especially juvenile pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). Examination of the trophic and temporal distribution of prista...

This project investigated population status, habitat use and trophic interactions of harbor seals in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska. Aerial counts to monitor population trend indicated a 3.3% annual decline during 1990-1999. Counts were 20% lower in 1999 than in 1990, and >50% lower than in 1988. We sampled 390 seals during 1992-2000 and satellite-tagged 47 non-pups and 27 pups. Most tagged...

We report on the results of a large-scale contingent valuation (CV) study conducted after the Exxon Valdez oil spill to assess the harm caused by it. Among the issues considered are the design features of the CV survey, its administration to a national sample of U.S. households, estimation of household willingness to pay to prevent another Exxon Valdez type oil spill, and issues related to reli...

Studies of several different oil spill disasters have shown that the people affected by these disasters can suffer adverse mental health and behavioral effects. But does the psychological impact of this kind of event differ among subgroups of the affected population? A new study explores that question by looking at how the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 specifically impacted women’s mental...

Oil spill constitutes a major source of fresh and seawater pollution as a result of accidental discharge from tankers, marine engines, and underwater pipes. Therefore, the need for cost-effective and environmental friendly sorbent materials for oil spill cleanup cannot be overemphasized. The present work focuses on the preliminary study of empty palm fruit bunch fibre as a promising sorbent mat...

In the Persian Gulf, the major source of oil pollution is related to the transportation of tankers, offshore production and discharges by coastal refineries. The water dynamical field has been obtained using a new hydrodynamic model. Local wind is recognized as the principal driving force combining to the water dynamic field to determine oil drift on the sea surface. The Weibull probability dis...

Metagenomics following Deepwater Horizon oil spill http://precedings.nature.com/documents/5733/version/1 This article deals with the recovery of microbial populations in two sites in the Gulf of Mexico prior to and after impact from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Metabolic reconstruction from metagenomes http://bioinformatics.knowledgeblog.org/2011/06/21/asurvey-of-metabolic-reconstruction-to...

The short-term effects of oil spills on marine species and communities are well known and predictable. However, concerns are often raised about possible longer-term ("sub-lethal") population effects through, for example, low levels of residual oil affecting the ability of certain species to breed successfully. In fact, extensive research and detailed post-spill studies have shown that many comp...

The objective of this review was to synthesize existing information regarding the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on marsh macrophytes in a manner that will help guide research and improve spill-response efficiency. Petroleum hydrocarbons affect plants chemically and physically. Although plants sometime survive fouling by producing new leaves, even relatively non-toxic oils can stress or kill...

Ecological disasters resulting from oil spills have created a great need to find more efficient materials for oil spill cleanup. This research highlights the use of a novel macroporous polymeric material based on butyl rubber (BR) as a sorbent in an oil spill cleanup. The sorption capacity of BR for crude oil and petroleum products is 15-23 g g(-1) as compared to the value of 10-16 g g(-1) obta...