Monitoring and assessment of conditions at a diesel oil spill site in Bonne Bay, Newfoundland and tests to determine the relative toxicity of diesel fuel to three marine invertebrate species

Puddister, Deidre A. (2004) Monitoring and assessment of conditions at a diesel oil spill site in Bonne Bay, Newfoundland and tests to determine the relative toxicity of diesel fuel to three marine invertebrate species. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (4MB)

Abstract

In 1999, 38000 litres of diesel oil was spilled in Gros Morne National Park, much of which leached onto on a small area of coastline. The goal of this project was to determine the effects of the diesel oil, and resulting clean-up procedures, on the coastal environment. Chapter 1 focuses on assessing conditions at the diesel oil spill site by examining hydrocarbon levels in sediments and organisms at the site, and by conducting a survey of the algal taxa present. Significant quantities of diesel were present for at least two years after the spill, both in sediments and biota. The oil spill site was also affected by uncharacteristically low-salinity conditions, as evidenced by the predominance of fresh-water tolerant algae. Chapter 2 focuses on determining the range of effects of the diesel oil using caged invertebrates, transplanted at a gradient from the point source of diesel and analyzed using binary logistic regression. Both distance from the source and length of time at the site (i.e. length of exposure to diesel oil and low-salinity conditions) affected the survival time of transplanted organisms; organisms transplanted closer to the source died faster than those farther away, though all organisms eventually perished. Chapter 3 examines the effects, combined and individual, of diesel and reduced salinity on the survival rates of three invertebrates commonly found along the Newfoundland coastline. Survival of these invertebrates, Mysis stenolepis, Gammarus oceanicus, and Littorina obtusata, was examined using one-way analysis of variance with a Tukey's test, two-factor analysis of variance, and regression analysis. Not all marine intertidal invertebrates react equally when exposed to diesel oil and reduced salinity, alone or combined, however, when considering that these organisms represent those potentially affected by a coastal oil spill, it can be concluded that even a short-term exposure could be devastating.

Actions (login required)

View Item