The Effects of Experimental Oil-Contaminated Marine Snow on Meiofauna in a Microcosm
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2020
Keywords
Benthic meiofauna, Microcosm, Marine snow, MOSSFA Oil, Nematode:Copepod ratio
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110656
Abstract
During an oil spill, a marine oil snow sedimentation and flocculent accumulation (MOSSFA) event can transport oil residue to the seafloor. Microcosm experiments were used to test the effects of oil residues on meiofaunal abundance and the nematode:copepod ratio under different oil concentrations and in the presence and absence of marine snow. Total meiofaunal abundance was 1.7 times higher in the presence of snow regardless of oil concentration. The nematode:copepod ratio was 13.9 times lower in the snow treatment regardless of the oil concentration. Copepod abundance was 24.3 times higher in marine snow treatments and 4.3 times higher at the highest oil concentration. Nematode abundance was 1.7 times lower at the highest oil concentration. The result of the experiment was an enrichment effect. The lack of a toxic response in the experiments may be attributable to relatively low oil concentrations, weathering processes, and the absence of chemically dispersed oil.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Marine Pollution Bulletin, v. 150, art. 110656
Scholar Commons Citation
Rohal, Melissa; Barrera, Noe; Van Eenennaam, Justine S.; Foekema, Edwin M.; Montagna, Paul A.; Murk, Albertinka J.; Pryor, Marissa; and Romero, Isabel, "The Effects of Experimental Oil-Contaminated Marine Snow on Meiofauna in a Microcosm" (2020). C-IMAGE Publications. 53.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cimage_pubs/53
Comments
Data used in this article are available for download.
The impact of experimental oil-contaminated marine snow on meiofauna