Oil Spill Dispersants Induce Formation of Marine Snow by Phytoplankton-Associated Bacteria
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-15-2016
Keywords
Marine snow, Extracellular polymeric substances, Dispersants, Deepwater horizon, Marine phytoplankton, Symbiotic bacteria
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.01.005
Abstract
Unusually large amounts of marine snow, including Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS), were formed during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The marine snow settled with oil and clay minerals as an oily sludge layer on the deep sea floor. This study tested the hypothesis that the unprecedented amount of chemical dispersants applied during high phytoplankton densities in the Gulf of Mexico induced high EPS formation. Two marine phytoplankton species (Dunaliella tertiolecta and Phaeodactylum tricornutum) produced EPS within days when exposed to the dispersant Corexit 9500. Phytoplankton-associated bacteria were shown to be responsible for the formation. The EPS consisted of proteins and to lesser extent polysaccharides. This study reveals an unexpected consequence of the presence of phytoplankton. This emphasizes the need to test the action of dispersants under realistic field conditions, which may seriously alter the fate of oil in the environment via increased marine snow formation.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
No
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Marine Pollution Bulletin, v. 104, issues 1–2, p. 294-302
Scholar Commons Citation
van Eenennaam, Justine S.; Wei, Yuzhu; Grolle, Katja C. F.; Foekema, Edwin M; and Murk, AlberTinka J., "Oil Spill Dispersants Induce Formation of Marine Snow by Phytoplankton-Associated Bacteria" (2016). C-IMAGE Publications. 88.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cimage_pubs/88
Comments
Data used in this article are available for download.
Biochemical characterization of Extracellular Polymeric Substances produced by phytoplankton-associated bacteria