Environmental effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: A review

Marine Pollution Bulletin, Год журнала: 2016, Номер 110(1), С. 28 - 51

Опубликована: Июнь 19, 2016

Язык: Английский

---

Environmental Impacts of the Deep-Water Oil and Gas Industry: A Review to Guide Management Strategies

Frontiers in Environmental Science, Год журнала: 2016, Номер 4

Опубликована: Сен. 16, 2016

The industrialization of the deep sea is expanding worldwide. Expanding oil and gas exploration activities in absence sufficient baseline data these ecosystems has made environmental management challenging. Here, we review types that are associated with global offshore development water depths over 200 m, typical impacts activities, some more extreme accidental releases, current state major regions industrial activity including 18 exclusive economic zones. Direct infrastructure installation, sediment resuspension burial by seafloor anchors pipelines, typically restricted to a radius approximately 100 m on from installation seafloor. Discharges water-based low-toxicity oil-based drilling muds produced can extend 2 km, while ecological at population community levels most commonly order 200-300 their source. These may persist for many years likely longer its fragile ecosystems, such as cold-water corals. This synthesis information provides basis series recommendations development. An effective strategy, aimed minimizing risk significant harm, will encompass regulations itself (e.g. discharge practices, materials used), combined spatial avoidance rules marine protected areas) temporal measures during peak reproductive periods). Spatial representatives all regional deep-sea important this context. Implementation strategies should consider minimum buffer zones displace beyond range impacts: least km any points surface no expected discharges. Although managing natural resources is, arguably, challenging deep-water environments, inclusion proven conservation tools contributes robust extraction sea.

Язык: Английский

---

Resilience of benthic deep-sea fauna to mining activities

Marine Environmental Research, Год журнала: 2017, Номер 129, С. 76 - 101

Опубликована: Апрель 13, 2017

Язык: Английский

---

Climate change, biodiversity, ticks and tick-borne diseases: The butterfly effect

International Journal for Parasitology Parasites and Wildlife, Год журнала: 2015, Номер 4(3), С. 452 - 461

Опубликована: Авг. 29, 2015

We have killed wild animals for obtaining food and decimated forests many reasons. Nowadays, we are burning fossil fuels as never before even exploring petroleum in deep waters. The impact of these activities on our planet is now visible to the naked eye debate climate change warming up scientific meetings becoming a priority agenda both scientists policy decision makers. On occasion Impact Environmental Changes Infectious Diseases (IECID) meeting, held 2015 Sitges, Spain, I was invited give keynote talk change, biodiversity, ticks tick-borne diseases. aim present article logically extend my rationale presented IECID meeting. This not intended be an exhaustive review, but essay It may anticipated that warmer winters extended autumn spring seasons will continue drive expansion distribution some tick species (e.g., Ixodes ricinus) northern latitudes higher altitudes. Nonetheless, further studies advocated improve understanding complex interactions between landscape, climate, host communities (biodiversity), demography, pathogen diversity, human behaviour, economics, politics, also considering all ecological processes trophic cascades) other possible interacting effects mutual increased greenhouse gas emissions deforestation rates). multitude variables factors involved, their complexity dynamism, make transmission systems beyond (current) comprehension. That is, perhaps, main reason inability precisely predict new epidemics vector-borne diseases general.

Язык: Английский

---

Assessing the impacts of oil-associated marine snow formation and sedimentation during and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Anthropocene, Год журнала: 2016, Номер 13, С. 18 - 33

Опубликована: Фев. 2, 2016

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the largest in US history, unprecedented for depth and volume of released, amount dispersants applied, unexpected, protracted sedimentation oil-associated marine snow (MOS) to seafloor. Marine formation, incorporation oil, subsequent gravitational settling seafloor (i.e., MOSSFA: Oil Snow Sedimentation Flocculent Accumulation) a significant pathway distribution fate accounting as much 14% total released. Long residence times on will result prolonged exposure by benthic organisms economically important fish. Bioaccumulation hydrocarbons into food web also has been documented. Major surface processes governing MOSSFA event included an elevated extended Mississippi River discharge, which enhanced phytoplankton production suspended particle concentrations, zooplankton grazing, microbial mucus formation. Previous reports indicated that MOS occurred during Tsesis Ixtoc-I spills; thus, events may occur future spills, particularly since 85% global deep-water exploration sites are adjacent deltaic systems. We provide conceptual framework identify data gaps help guide current research improve our ability predict under different environmental conditions. Baseline time-series model development urgently needed all levels ecosystems regions hydrocarbon extraction prepare respond spills understand impacts environment.

Язык: Английский

---

Fallout plume of submerged oil from Deepwater Horizon

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2014, Номер 111(45), С. 15906 - 15911

Опубликована: Окт. 27, 2014

Significance Following the sinking of Deepwater Horizon in Gulf Mexico an unprecedented quantity oil irrupted into ocean at a depth 1.5 km. The novelty this event makes oil’s subsequent fate deep difficult to predict. This work identifies fallout plume hydrocarbons from Macondo Well contaminating floor over area 3,200 km 2 . Our analysis suggests initially was suspended waters and then settled underlying sea floor. spatial distribution contamination implicates accelerated settling as important for oil, supports patchwork mosaic model deposition, frames ongoing attempts determine event’s impact on deep-ocean ecology.

Язык: Английский

---

Cold-water coral reefs and adjacent sponge grounds: hotspots of benthic respiration and organic carbon cycling in the deep sea

Frontiers in Marine Science, Год журнала: 2015, Номер 2

Опубликована: Июнь 19, 2015

Cold-water coral reefs and adjacent sponge grounds are distributed widely in the deep ocean, where only a small fraction of surface productivity reaches seafloor as detritus. It remains elusive how these hotspots biodiversity can thrive such food-limited environment, data on energy flow organic carbon utilization critically lacking. Here we report situ community respiration rates for cold-water ecosystems obtained by non-invasive aquatic Eddy Correlation technique. Oxygen uptake over Træna Coral Field (Norway) were 9-20 times higher than those surrounding soft sediments. These high indicate strong matter consumption, hence suggest local focusing onto downward flux that is exported from ocean. Overall, our results show processing deep-sea play more prominent role marine biogeochemical cycles previously recognized.

Язык: Английский

---

Estimating dispersal distance in the deep sea: challenges and applications to marine reserves

Frontiers in Marine Science, Год журнала: 2015, Номер 2

Опубликована: Фев. 13, 2015

Population connectivity refers to the exchange of individuals among populations: it affects gene flow, regulates population size and function, mitigates recovery from natural or anthropogenic disturbances. Many populations in deep sea are spatially fragmented, will become more so with increasing resource exploitation. Understanding is critical for spatial management. For most benthic species, achieved by planktonic larval stage, dispersal is, turn, regulated complex interactions between biological oceanographic processes. Coupled biophysical models, incorporating ocean circulation traits, such as duration (PLD), have been used estimate generate management plans coastal shallow waters. In sea, knowledge gaps both physical components delaying effective use this approach. Here, we review current efforts conservation evaluate (1) relevance using design marine protected areas (2) application models study connectivity. Within PLD can be distance. We propose that a guarantees minimum distance wide range species should planning sea. Based on data found at depths > 200 m, 35 69 days ensures 50% 75%, respectively, eurybathic deep-sea species. note required enhance accuracy address high variability within taxonomic groups, limiting generalizations often appealing decision-makers. Given imminent expansion exploitation relevant needed urgently.

Язык: Английский

---

Environmental impacts of oil spills and their remediation by magnetic nanomaterials

Environmental Nanotechnology Monitoring & Management, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 14, С. 100305 - 100305

Опубликована: Май 10, 2020

Язык: Английский

---

Worldwide Analysis of Sedimentary DNA Reveals Major Gaps in Taxonomic Knowledge of Deep-Sea Benthos

Frontiers in Marine Science, Год журнала: 2016, Номер 3

Опубликована: Июнь 14, 2016

Deep-sea sediments represent the largest but least known ecosystem on earth. With increasing anthropogenic pressure, it is now a matter of urgency to improve our understanding deep-sea biodiversity. Traditional morpho-taxonomic studies suggest that ocean floor hosts extraordinarily diverse benthic communities. However, due both its remoteness and lack expert taxonomists, assessing diversity very challenging task. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding offers powerful tool complement studies. Here we use eDNA assess metazoan in 39 sediment samples from bathyal abyssal depths worldwide. The dataset was dominated by meiobenthic taxa identified all animal phyla commonly found benthos; yet, within these remains largely unknown. large numbers taxonomically unassigned molecular operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were not equally distributed among phyla, with nematodes platyhelminthes being most poorly characterized perspective. While data obtained here reveal pronounced heterogeneity vast amounts unknown biodiversity deep sea, they also expose difficulties exploiting datasets resulting knowledge appropriate reference databases. Overall, study demonstrates promising potential accelerate assessment for pure applied environmental research emphasises necessity integrate such new approaches traditional morphology-based examination organisms.

Язык: Английский

---