Ecosystem boundary retreat due to human-induced pressure is a generally observed phenomenon. However, studies that document thresholds beyond which internal resistance mechanisms are overwhelmed are uncommon. Following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, field studies from a few sites suggested that oiling of salt marshes could lead to a biogeomorphic feedback where plant death resulted in i...

To study the chemical properties, the initial recovery of milk components, oiling off, and the textural properties of the cheese during a 60-day refrigerated storage period, skim milk was microfiltered through a 1.4-μm ceramic membrane to remove bacteria, and then low-moisture Mozzarella cheese was manufactured from medium-concentration factor (CF) microfiltration (MF) (0.1 μm of pore size, CF ...

The ribbed mussel, Geukensia granosissima, cycles nutrients, contributes to soil stability, and can be a major component of predator-prey communities in salt marshes. Mussels were exposed the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill Gulf Mexico, marshes remain contaminated eight years later. We hypothesized that oiled mussels had reduced annual growth, altered population size frequency, perhaps changed...

To understand the ecotoxicological impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, field studies provide a context for ecological realism but laboratory-based studies offer power for connecting biological effects with specific causes. As a complement to field studies, we characterized genome-wide gene expression responses of Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) to oil-contaminated waters in controlled...

We estimated the amount of oil remaining in Prince William Sound, Alaska, 12 yr after the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill to assess its importance as a long-term reservoir of toxic hydrocarbons. We found oil on 78 of 91 beaches randomly selected according to their oiling history. Surface oiling was recorded for randomly placed quadrats, which were then excavated and examined for subsurface oil. The cum...

The oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico was documented by shoreline assessment teams as stranding on 1,773 km of shoreline. Beaches comprised 50.8%, marshes 44.9%, and other shoreline types 4.3% of the oiled shoreline. Shoreline cleanup activities were authorized on 660 km, or 73.3% of oiled beaches and up to 71 km, or 8.9% of oiled marshes and associated habitats. O...