why spring ? it is the first important biological event after shipwreck bloom of phytoplankton in...
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U n ivers id add e O vied o
THE EFFECT OF THE PRESTIGE OIL SPILL ON THE PHYTOPLANKTON IN THE N-NW SPANISH
COAST DURING SPRING Manuel Varela*1, Antonio Bode1. M Teresa Alvarez-Ossorio1 Ricardo Anadon2,
Marcos LLope 2 Luis Valdes 3 Carlos Garcia-Soto 4
1 Instituto Espanol de Oceangrafia. Muelle de Animas s/n. A Coruña. Spain
2 Laboratorio de Ecologia. Universidad de Oviedo. Spain
3 Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia. Paseo del Arbeyal s/n. Gijón. Spain
4 Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia, Promontorio de Sa Martín s/n. Santander. Spain
Why Spring ?
• It is the first important biological event after shipwreck
• Bloom of phytoplankton in the area
• Spawning of many species of fishes and shellfish of commercial interest
• Effects on plankton ---- effects on food web
Source of Data
• Instituto Español de Oceanografia Core Project: Studies on Times Series of Oceanographic Data
– Starting in 1988 in A Coruna
– Several localities of study in the N-NW Coast of Spain
• Pelacus Cruises– Cover the area from Portugal to France
• OmexII Satellite Data – For the area in front of Rias Bajas
• Satellite chlorophyll IEO– Gijon Radial
7°W
5°W
43°N
42°N
5°W
0°W10°W
7°W
45°N
50°N
40°N
A Coruña
Vigo
Gijón
Santander
Cudillero
200 m
Cape Finisterre
Bay of Biscay
Galicia
NG
SG
WBB EBB
Area of study
Have effects on phytoplankton been observed after the Prestige oil spill during spring?
• Effects on biomass (chlorophyll-a)• Effects on physiology (primary production)• Effects of taxonomic groups• Effects on main phytoplankton species
n
n
n
n
n nn
n
n
n
n
n n n
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 20030
50
100
150
200
250
300A Coruna shelf station chlorophyll
Effects on biomass (chlorophyll-a)
n
n
n
nn n n n n
n
n
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 20030
50
100
150
200
250
300Cudillero shelf station chlorophyll
Effects on biomass (chlorophyll-a)
n
n n nn
n
nn
n
n nn n
n
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 20030
200
400
600
800
1000
1200A Coruna shelf station primary production
Effects on primary production
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nn
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 20030
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400Cudillero shelf station primary production
Effects on primary production
nn
n
n
n
n n
n nn n
nn
n
199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220030
25000
50000
75000
100000A Coruna shelf station diatoms
Effects on diatoms
n n nn
n
nn
nn
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 20030
25000
50000
75000
100000Cudillero shelf station diatoms
Effects on diatoms
n n
nn
n
n
n n
n
n
n
n
n
n
199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220030
2000
4000
6000
8000A Coruna shelf station dinoflagellates
Effects on dinoflagellates
n
nn
n
n
n
n
n
n
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 20030
2000
4000
6000
8000Cudillero shelf station dinoflagellates
Effects on dinoflagellates
Main phytoplankton speciesA CORUÑA
Groups and species %n mean sd %n mean sdDinoflagellates
Heterocapsa niei 39 2.0 3.9 75 0.9 0.6Gyrodinium glaucum 22 0.1 0.2 75 0.4 0.3Prorocentrum balticum 33 1.3 5.2 50 4.9 8.4Scrippsiella trochoidea 24 0.5 2.1 25 0.1 0.1Torodinium roubustum 33 0.2 0.3 50 0.3 0.3
DiatomsAsterionellopsis glacialis 33 1.7 4.5 25 0.2 0.3Chaetoceros affinis 24 2.3 8.2 75 1.4 1.4Chaetoceros compressus 16 12.9 70.5 25 0.9 1.5Chaetoceros curvisetus 14 15.7 104.0 20 0.1 0.2Chaetoceros didymus 29 5.1 15.8 50 0.9 1.4Chaetoceros socialis 65 377.5 1138.1 75 31.6 44.0Chaetoceros spp 47 4.3 14.2 75 16.5 21.0Detonula pumila 43 13.3 26.3 20 0.1 0.1Guinardia delicatula 51 13.7 52.3 100 2.9 2.0Guinardia striata 14 0.3 1.6 25 0.5 0.9Lauderia borealis 20 5.6 18.8 25 0.1 0.2Leptocylindrus danicus * 51 19.7 59.9 75 151.6 258.5Leptocylindrus minimus 12 0.6 1.8 25 1.6 2.7Nitzschia sp 14 1.5 4.9 50 0.7 0.9Nitzschia longissima 51 1.3 2.5 75 2.0 2.2Pseudo-nitzschia pungens 57 12.7 28.1 75 6.3 9.5Pseudonitzschia delicatissima 10 0.6 2.5 50 0.8 1.2Skeletonema costatum 39 13.8 46.2 25 0.1 0.1Thalassionema nitzschoides 35 1.2 3.7 75 1.7 1.2Thalassiosira fallax 22 0.9 2.8 50 1.1 1.6
Other phytoplanktersPhaeocistis pouchetii 33 3.0 7.3 25 1.8 3.1Solenicola setigera 22 9.4 46.9 75 10.6 17.6
CUDILLERO Before (1995-2002) After (2003)Groups and species %n mean sd %n mean sd
DinoflagellatesHeterocapsa niei 29 0.4 0.9 25 0.1 0.1Prorocentrum balticum * 14 0.1 0.4 100 3.2 2.6Scrippsiella trochoidea 57 0.6 0.8 50 0.2 0.2
DiatomsAsterionellopsis glacialis 14 0.2 0.7 50 0.2 0.2Bacteriastrum hyalinum 14 1.3 3.3 25 0.1 0.1Cerataulina pelagica 21 0.3 1.1 25 0.1 0.2Chaetoceros curvisetus * 14 0.2 0.6 50 16.5 16.5Chaetoceros danicus 29 0.4 0.9 25 0.1 0.1Chaetoceros socialis 7 121.4 437.7 50 191.0 191.0Detonula pumila 57 11.6 26.7 50 0.1 0.1Guinardia delicatula 57 38.3 109.2 25 0.1 0.1Leptocylindrus danicus 71 67.0 224.8 100 46.1 43.6Leptocylindrus minimus 7 0.1 0.3 50 24.6 24.6Pseudo-nitzschia pungens * 93 3.1 5.3 100 93.2 93.1Rhizosolenia setigera 36 0.4 1.1 25 0.1 0.1
Before ( 1990-2002) After (2003)
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
SG Bf SG Af NG Bf NG Af WB Bf WB Af EB Bf EB Af0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180Integrated Chl a Pelacus Cruises
Effects on biomass during Pelacus Cruises
Bf: 1999-2002Af: 2003
1998-2002 20030
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Satellite Primary Production
Ocean
Ocean
Shelf
Effects on primary production OMEX II Box Area
Radial Gijon. Instituto Español de Oceanografia
Final Remarks
•No effects on phytoplankton at several levels
•Differences are the result of natural variabiliy of ecosystem
Why effects have not been observed?
Low solubility of Prestige fuel
Low concetrations in waterLow concentations in planktonLow aromatic contentHigh density--sinkingPristane/Phytane ratio no Prestige
Plankton mechanisms remove oil from surface waters
•Zooplankton: grazing on oil particles–Fecal pellets sinking to bottom
•Diatoms: adsorption on silica wall –eventual sinking to bottom
•Detritus and clay particles: adsorption–Aggregates and eventual sinking
A Coruna Zooplankton: oil in the gut content
CONCLUSIONS
• No effects have been observed on phytoplankton during spring blooms for biomass, production and community structure
• We can not ascertain whether or not oil has affected phytoplankton– Large variability caused by meso and large-scale
processes masks any effect
– Effects reduced or short-lived. No effect on spring bloom
Acknowledgements
• Technical assistance– Teodoro Patrocinio Ibarrola– Jorge Lorenzo Salamanca– Leticia Viesca Lombardia
• Crew of R/V– IEO (Lura, Rioja, Navaz)– IFREMER (Thalassa)
• Projects– CICYT Aes: Reconocimiento Oceanografico en la época de floración
primaveral en Galicia y Cantábrico– IEO: Studies on Time Series of Oceanographic Data– EU: Pelasses and Sardyn