KENNETH L. HECK JR1 and F. JOEL FODRIE2

1Dauphin Island Sea Lab/ University of South Alabama

2Institute of Marine Science, University of North Carolina

Response of fish, crabs and shrimp in Alabama salt marshes to DwH oiling (Moody et al 2013)

Responses of juvenile fish in nGoM seagrassmeadows to DwH oiling (Fodrie and Heck 2011)

Mismatch of conclusions between studies of the effects of oiling on individual fish and those on fish populations (Fodrie et al 2014)

Goals of the recently funded Alabama Center for Ecological Resilience (ACER)

◦ Seagrass (Heck)

◦ Fisheries and Oysters (Powers)

◦ Mammals (Carmichael)

well

head

dispersant

asphaltines

oil plume

oil slick

1000 m

500 m

200 m

1500 maccumulating oil

on sediments

dispersed subsurface oil plume

dispersed oil/hydrate plume

Apr 20 – well blow out

Apr 22 – first surface slick detected

May 14 – injection of dispersant at well head began

Jul 15 – oil and gas discharge ended (after 84 d)

No reliable

refuge for fish

larvae

Toxic compounds found in oil, such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), can result in genetic damage, physical deformities and altered developmental timing for fish eggs/larvae.

These effects may be induced at very low (~1 ppb PAHs) levels of exposure when persistent over days to weeks.

Emulsified oil droplets could also mechanically damage the feeding and breathing apparatus of relatively fragile larvae.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/oil-spill-fish-featured.jpg

Oil could kill marsh grasses, kill or drive off fauna, and enhance erosional processes.

Potential contamination of fish and invertebrate larvae spawned offshore

Surviving belowground biomass can facilitate reestablishment of grasses

Transient species that spawn offshore will decline relative to permanent residents.

Prolonged oiling, or prolonged oil residence, will decrease populations of both permanent residents and transients.

Movement of nekton from oiled habitats will enhance the abundance, diversity and biomass of nekton in nearby non-impacted habitats.

Photo by Bob Thomas

Photo by Reuters

• Aug 2009-Feb 2012 sampling

• Pre- and post-spill data available for 1.4 km of fringing marsh

• Allowed a pre-spill baseline to compare with post-spill collections

Point-aux-Pins, AL

Daggerblade Grass Shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio)

P. pugio made up 85% of all organisms collected

Early juvenile abundances integrate early life-history processes such as fertilization, larval survival, and settlement.

Measures of juvenile abundances are tractable due to the tendency of settled fish to aggregate in specialized nursery habitats.

Therefore, effects of oil pollution on early life stages should be detectable in time series data as shifts in the abundance of recently settled juvenile fishes.

V.

Pre-spill

Post-spill

Larval survival and settlement

Summer/fall trawl sampling (2006-2010)

Seagrass-associated (juvenile) fishes

Thalassia, Halodule, Syringodium, and Ruppiameadows

853 individual trawl samples covering a linear distance of 184.7 km

Collection of 167,740 fishes (86 taxa)

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Chand Is Gulf Is Grand Bay Florida Bays

2006-2009

2010

Fis

he

s C

au

gh

tk

m-T

ow

ed

-1

Scientific name

Lagodon rhomboides 644.9 1379.3 <0.001 ↑

Eucinostomus spp. 119.9 60.2 0.086 NCNC

Bairdiella chrysoura 123.1 163.8 0.117 NC

Orthopristis chrysoptera 80.3 118.7 0.007 ↑

Lutjanus griseus 23.6 43.0 0.003 ↑

Stephanolepis hispidus 12.0 70.6 <0.001 ↑

Lutjanus synagris 14.8 19.2 0.171 NC

Cynoscion nebulosus 13.4 36.5 <0.001 ↑

Syngnathus spp. 11.6 20.1 0.057 NC

Chilomycterus schoepfi 7.4 18.6 <0.001 ↑

Leiostomus xanthurus 4.6 2.6 0.533 NC

Opsanus beta 2.7 6.6 <0.001 ↑

Arius felis 2.6 10.1 0.021 ↑

Nicholsina usta 2.1 6.9 0.003 ↑

Sphoeroides spp. 2.3 2.2 0.974 NC

Blenniidae 2.1 5.3 0.002 ↑

Mycteroperca microlepis 2.0 1.7 0.773 NC

Paralichthys spp. 2.0 2.9 0.133 NC

Archosargus probatocephalus 1.6 5.9 <0.001 ↑

Lactophrys quadricornis 1.5 3.2 0.036 ↑

2006-09

CPUE

2010

CPUE

P (df =

851) Trend

Pinfish CPUE Trawling 2006-2014

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20142006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20142006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20142006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

L. rh

om

bo

ide

s C

aug

ht km

To

we

d-1

-500

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

Gray Snapper CPUE Trawling 2006-2014

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20142006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20142006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20142006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

-100

0

100

200

300

400

500

Chandeleur Islands

FL Bays

Grand Bay

Gulf Islands

L. g

rise

us C

aug

ht km

To

we

d-1

Speckled Trout CPUE Trawling 2006-2014

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20142006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20142006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20142006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

C. n

eb

ulo

su

s C

aug

ht km

To

we

d-1

Total Fish CPUE Trawling 2006-2014

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20142006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20142006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20142006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

To

tal F

ish C

aug

ht km

To

we

d-1

-1000

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

Observational (monitoring) data collected over relevant spatial and temporal scales are invaluable for guiding and evaluating targeted studies of oil impacts

1. Genomic expression, physiological and developmental penalties

2. Potential mortality, especially during larval and juvenile stages

3. Habitat loss, degradation or alteration

4. Changes in primary production and basal resources

5. Fishery closures

: Established negative effects of oil: Effects of oil are equivocal: Indicates potential indirect effects of oil (+ other stressors)on fishes

Organism/Individual

Oil

4

1_

?

Population

Community/Ecosystem

2

3_?

?

5_

?_?

Table 1. Characterization of studies examining the organismal responses of estuarine fishes to GOM oil pollution

Citation

Oil-Spill

Context Organism

Lab or

Field

Collection

Locations Ge

no

mic

Re

spo

nse

Ph

ysi

olo

gic

al

Re

spo

nse

Mo

rph

olo

gic

al

De

fect

s

Incr

ea

sed

Mo

rta

lity

Population-

level (fitness)

Impacts

Considered

Ernst et al.

1977

No. 2 Fuel

Oil

Fundulus

grandis

Lab TX n/a Y n/a Y Presumed

Negative, Not

Explicitly

Stated

Fucik et al.

1995

Generic Oil

+ COREXIT

Atherinopsidae,

Clupeidae,

Sciaenidae

Lab Western

Gulf and

Atlantic

n/a n/a n/a Y Presumed

Negative, Not

Explicitly

Stated

Gregg et al.

1997

Diesel-

fouled

sediments

Gobionellus

boleosoma

Lab LA Reduced feeding Not Indicated

Whitehead et

al. 2012

Macondo Fundulus

grandis

Field LA, MS, AL Y Y n/a n/a Expected

Negative

de Soysa et

al. 2012

Macondo Danio rerio

(embryos)

Lab n/a n/a n/a Y n/a Presumed

Negative, Not

Explicitly

Stated

Garcia et al.

2012

Macondo Fundulus

grandis

Field LA, MS, AL Y n/a n/a n/a Presumed

Negative, Not

Explicitly

Stated

Dubansky et

al. 2013

Macondo Fundulus

grandis (adults

and embryos)

Lab

and

Field

TX, LA, MS,

AL, FL

Y Y Y n/a Expected

Negative

Incardona et

al. 2013

Macondo Danio rerio

(embryos)

Lab n/a Y n/a Y n/a Presumed

Negative, Not

Explicitly

Stated

Kuhl et al.

2013

Macondo +

COREXIT

Fundulus

grandis

Lab n/a n/a n/a n/a Y Presumed

Negative, Not

Explicitly

Stated

Crowe et al.

2014

Macondo Fundulus

grandis

Lab n/a Y Y n/a n/a Presumed

Negative, Not

Explicitly

Stated

Incardona et al. (2014)

No exposure. Healthy.

Oil exposed, deformed heart, eye, spinal column

Table 2. Characterization of studies examining population-level responses of estuarine fishes in the GOM following oil spills

Citation

Oil-Spill

Context

Year of

Spill

Assemblage

Surveyed Location(s) Study Design

Density

Response

Assemblage

Response

Further Description of

Results

Rozas et al. 2000 3 Spills,

Including

'Apex ' Spill

1990,

1994,

1996

Marsh-Associated

Fishes

TX Stratified

Random w/

Regression

None or

Positive

n/a Stable or Increasing

Densities (19 species)

With Increasing Oil

Concentrations

Roth and Baltz 2009 Unnamed

600-Barrel

Spill

2005 Resident and

Transient Marsh-

Associated Nekton

LA BACI None None Stable Densities (10

species) Post Oiling. No

Change in Assemblage

Fodrie and Heck 2011 Macondo 2010 Seagrass-

Associates Fishes

LA, MS, AL,

FL

Regional

Before-After

Comparisons

Positive None Stable or Increasing

Densities (N = 20) Post

Oil Spill. No Change in

Assemblage

Chakrabarty et al. 2012 Macondo 2010 124 Fishes GOM n/a n/a n/a n/a

Moody et al. 2013 Macondo 2010 Resident and

Transient Marsh-

Associated Nekton

AL Single-Site

Before-After

Few,

Temporary

Negative

None Temporary (12 mo)

Decline in Goby Density

and Biomass. No Change

in Assemblage

Able et al. forthcoming Macondo 2010 Resident Marsh-

Associated Fishes

LA Regional

Control-

Impact

None None No Changes in Densities

or Assemblage Between

Unoiled and Oiled Sites

?

Populations: negative effects NOT detected

Challenges in detecting population-level effects despite

organism-level responses

1. High spatio-temporal variability in oiling effects

2. Emigration/immigration after oiling3. Fisheries closures (+ other stressors)

obscure population declines4. Offsetting effects cascade through food

webs5. Lagged (sub-lethal) effects

Organisms/Individuals: negative effects CONSISTENTLY detected

Absence of population-level effects despite organism-level

responses

1. Behavioral (spatial/dietary) avoidance

2. Oil concentrations below toxic levels for fishes in nature

3. Sublethal effects do not determine fitness, impacts occur prior to density-dependent bottlenecks, or other compensatory processes

4. Representativeness of model species in laboratory assays

PAH

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) was created when BP committed $500 million to create an independent research program to:

1) study the effects of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health; and

2) develop improved spill mitigation and remediation technologies at research institutions primarily in Gulf Coast States.

Alabama Center for Ecological Resilience (ACER) at

the Dauphin Island Sea Lab

Our primary goal is to evaluate the role of biodiversity (genetic, species and functional) in determining how nGoM ecosystems can resist and recover from disturbance produced by exposure to oil and dispersants

Alabama Center for Ecological Resilience (ACER)

Programmatic Goal

But Why Focus on Biodiversity?

1. Diversity increases production andresource use

2. Diversity enhances trophic transfer

3. Diversity increases stability andresistance to disturbance

The DwH disaster provides an excellent opportunity to study both the direct and indirect effects on ecosystems that result from a change in biodiversity

ACER Research

ACER Sub-Group Biodiversity

Measure

Metrics Ecosystem Function/Service

Nitrogen Cycling

(Mortazavi and Sobecky)

Functional Primary production,

nitrogen flux,

De-nitrification, nutrient flux

Benthic Microbes

(Robertson, Parsons,

Ortmann, and Urakawa)

Taxonomic,

Genetic,

Functional

Primary and secondary

productivity, carbon and

nitrogen flux, sulfur cycling

Primary production, nutrient

flux, carbon, nitrogen sinks

Phytoplankton-

Microzooplankton

(Krause &Thamatrakoln)

Taxonomic,

Functional

Primary production,

grazing, mortality

Energy flow

Benthic Macroinfauna

(Dorgan, Bell & Berke)

Functional Bioturbation, nitrogen flux Energy flow, ecosystem

engineering, habitat

destabilization, sediment

oxygen demand, nutrient

cycling

Wetlands

(Heck, Cebrian & Hughes)

Genetic,

Taxonomic

Primary productivity,

secondary productivity,

sediment accrual/loss

Energy flow, habitat

provisioning, shoreline

destabilization, carbon and

nitrogen source/sink

Oyster Reefs

(Powers)

Genetic

Taxonomic

Survivorship and growth,

filtration capacity,

secondary productivity

Habitat provisioning, bio-

filtration, fisheries resource

Higher level consumers

(Valentine, Martin &

Drymon)

Taxonomic

Functional

Community structure,

abundance, biomass,

species richness, predation

rate, linkage strength,

connectance

Food web structure, food web

interactions, emergent

properties, behavior,

predation, energy flow, stable

isotopes

Investigator Sub-groups and Research Foci

Consortium Director - John Valentine (DISL)

Deputy Director- Ken Heck (DISL)

Member Institutions

Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) Florida Gulf Coast University Louisiana State University Northeastern University Rutgers University Siena College University of Alabama University of South Alabama University of South Florida

ACER Member Institutions

Study Location Northern GoM

ACER Research

The focal point for ACER field studies is the Chandeleur Island (CI) chain. These islands received heavy oiling in the south, moderate oiling in the middle and little/no oiling in the north.

In addition, because there was little clean-up activity, there should be few artifacts introduced by clean-up crews.

For these reasons the CI is an ideal location for comparative studies to test our hypotheses.

Oiling (a) in July 2010 during the DwH event and (b) in January 2012.

Mesocosm Facility (16-1,000 gal & 4-5,000 gal flow-through mesocosms)

NMFS, MARFIN and NGI (NOAA), and ADCNR funding

S. Williams, M. Brodeur, O. Rhoades, J. Myers, C. Baillie, and many DISL students and interns

S. Powers, C. Peterson and J. Kenworthy

NMFS, MARFIN and NGI (NOAA) funding

S. Williams, M. Brodeur, O. Rhoades, J. Myers, C. Baillie, and many DISL students and interns

S. Powers, C. Peterson and J. Kenworthy

Oiled, impaired

Not Oiled, healthyGill tissues

Jul 2009

Sep 2009

Nov 2009

Jan 2010

Mar 2010

May 2010

Jul 2010

Sep 2010

Nov 2010

Mean

Sp

art

ina

sh

oo

ts p

er

m2

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

220

240

DWH

Jul 2009

Sep 2009

Nov 2009

Jan 2010

Mar 2010

May 2010

Jul 2010

Sep 2010

Nov 2010

Mea

n C

PU

E (

no

. o

f in

d.

per

tid

al

peri

od

)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

DWH

Jul 2009

Sep 2009

Nov 2009

Jan 2010

Mar 2010

May 2010

Jul 2010

Sep 2010

Nov 2010

Mean

dry

tis

su

e m

ass (

g)

per

tid

al

cycle

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

DWH

Jul 2009

Sep 2009

Nov 2009

Jan 2010

Mar 2010

May 2010

Jul 2010

Sep 2010

Nov 2010

Sh

an

no

n-W

ien

er

Div

ers

ity I

nd

ex

(H

')

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

DWH

Abundance(p <

0.001)

Biomass(n.s.)

Diversity (n.s.)

Marsh Grass Density (n.s.)

During 2015-2017 the ACER team will focus on critical living resources that underpin the extraordinary productivity of the northern Gulf of Mexico's (nGoM ).

Our primary goal is to evaluate the role of biological diversity in determining how nGoM ecosystems can resist and recover from disturbance and stress produced by exposure to oil and dispersants.

Alabama Center for Ecological Resilience (ACER)

The focal point for ACER field studies is the Chandeleur Island (CI) chain. These islands experienced differential oiling, with heavy oiling in the south, moderate oiling in the middle and little or no oiling in the north.

In addition, because there was little or no clean-up activity in this area, there should be no artifacts introduced by clean-up crews.

For these reasons the CI is an ideal location for comparative studies to test our hypotheses.

Oiling detected (a) in July 2010 during the DwH event and (b) in January 2012. Heaviest oiling occurred in the lower and mid islands, with very light to no oil in the north.

Gulf Coast States shall award competitive grants to nongovernmental entities and consortia in the Gulf Coast region to establish Centers of Excellence …that demonstrate …interest and expertise in any discipline on which the proposal of the Center of Excellence will be focused. These include:

1. Coastal and deltaic sustainability, restoration and protection.

2. Coastal fisheries and ecosystem research and monitoring .

3. Offshore energy development, including research and technology to improve the sustainable and safe development of energy resources.

4. Sustainable and resilient growth, economic and commercial development.

5. Comprehensive observation, monitoring, and mapping of the Gulf of Mexico.

RESTORE ACT CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

Evidence that oil droplets produced by dispersants and natural biodegradation did enter microbial and planktonic food webs.

Potential contamination of fish and invertebrate larvae, and their prey base.

Many inshore species are spawned offshore and reside in the plankton before settling in nearshore habitats.

Fish may suffer growth or reproductive penalties years after exposure to oil.

Oil in sediments may affect species laying benthic eggs for several years.

Ecosystems experiencing large-scale disturbance can carry or build instabilities - resulting in delayed collapses of fisheries stocks.

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Summary of Number of Trawls* in Aug-Oct 2006-2014

Region Sites Month 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 TOTAL

Chand Is 10 15 10 20 11 12 11 89

Chand Is, Chand Mid, Chand S, Chand N Aug 11 9 20

Sep 11 11 22

Oct 10 4 10 12 11 47

FL Bays 72 91 99 80 65 91 57 49 58 662

Big Lagoon, Pensacola, Choctawhatchee, SAB, SJB, Santa Rosa

Aug 76 7 45 32 160

Sep 70 11 83 31 60 29 48 4 10 346

Oct 2 4 9 4 5 30 9 45 48 156

Gulf Is 32 28 24 25 39 54 24 8 28 262

Horn, Petit Bois, Ship Aug 32 12 6 18 30 98

Sep 16 4 31 4 8 63

Oct 14 7 8 24 20 28 101

Grand Bay 37 14 11 11 17 40 10 7 6 153

Grand Batture Shoal, Point aux Pines, Jose Bay

Aug 12 5 10 5 3 21 56

Sep 13 4 11 3 10 7 6 54

Oct 12 5 1 6 3 16 43

TOTAL 151 133 134 131 131 205 102 76 103 1166

*This set excludes trawls characterized as: No grass, no distance data, hung no tow, heavy milfoil, heavy drift algae, no tow, did not

record entire catch, did not count pinfish, sand, 80% sand, very patchy grass

?

Populations: negative effects NOT detected

Challenges in detecting population-level effects despite

organism-level responses

1. High spatio-temporal variability in oiling effects

2. Emigration/immigration after oiling3. Fisheries closures (+ other stressors)

obscure population declines4. Offsetting effects cascade through food

webs5. Lagged (sub-lethal) effects

Organisms/Individuals: negative effects CONSISTENTLY detected

Absence of population-level effects despite organism-level

responses

1. Behavioral (spatial/dietary) avoidance

2. Oil concentrations below toxic levels for fishes in nature

3. Sublethal effects do not determine fitness, impacts occur prior to density-dependent bottlenecks, or other compensatory processes

4. Representativeness of model species in laboratory assays

PAH

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/oil-spill-fish-featured.jpg

No significant, negative impacts on the strength of juvenile cohorts within seagrass habitats were detected

Pre-spill: 1,080+43 fishes km-towed-1 (μ + 1SE)

Post-spill: 1,989+220 fishes km-towed-1

Several harvested species showed significantly higher juvenile catch rates during 2010 following large-scale fisheries closures.

Perhaps some oil-related impacts mediated by other indirect effects (e.g, loss of predators, density-dependent effects, spatial shifts)

Alabama Center for Ecological Resilience (ACER)

A consortium formed under Theme 3 of GOMRI RFP IV

1. Diversity increases productionand resource use

2. Diversity increases stabilityand resistance to disturbance

3. Diversity enhances trophic transfer

Why Focus on Biodiversity?