Bracing for Oil

Abstract

![Figure][1] Creeping closer. Weeks after the April 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill began, a wave of oily tarballs washes over a footprint in Orange Beach, Alabama. CREDIT: JAY REEVES/AP PHOTO Uneasiness has settled on the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science campus as we watch the oil spill slick creep across the Gulf. Although we are on Florida's eastern side, the currents will likely carry the oil to our shores. What would become of the beach surrounding our campus, and the reefs just offshore that we measure and map and monitor regularly? On campus, we have set up our own drilling rigs, drilling not for oil, but for clean seawater. The tanks housing our corals and fish draw water directly from Biscayne Bay, and we hoped that by digging wells, we could use sand to filter out the incoming pollutants. Results are mixed: One of the wells has produced water of high quality, but the other has high loads of inorganic nutrients, rendering its utility questionable and the security of the water supply uncertain. It is hard to predict how the oil will affect our reefs. Many of the studies on the effects of oil and dispersants on corals were done in the 1970s and early 1980s ([ 1 ][2], [ 2 ][3]). Although many sublethal effects were reported, acute mortality in connection with oil alone was low. The mucous layer of corals may allow them to slough off oil before it causes damage. The dispersants are more toxic; they can dissolve the corals' mucous layer, which would allow chemicals to penetrate the tissues. Our predictive capacity is further compromised by the wide range of secondary stressors, including coral bleaching, ocean acidification, disease outbreaks, and algal overgrowth. These factors might make the corals even more vulnerable, particularly to toxic exposures. Powerless, we wait and watch, trying to enjoy our beach but always mindful of the days, perhaps not far off, when tarballs will mingle with the seaweed washed ashore. As we work to mitigate this disaster, we must go beyond a clean up and demand better protection for these devastated and dwindling ecosystems. 1. [↵][4] 1. Y. Loya 2. et al ., Oil Petroch. Poll. 1, 157 (1983). [OpenUrl][5][CrossRef][6] 2. [↵][7] 1. Y. Loya, 2. B. Rinkevich , Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 3, 167 (1980). [OpenUrl][8][CrossRef][9] [1]: pending:yes [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text [5]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DOil%2BPetroch.%2BPoll.%26rft.volume%253D1%26rft.spage%253D157%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252FS0143-7127%252883%252990134-5%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [6]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/S0143-7127(83)90134-5&link_type=DOI [7]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2 in text [8]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DMar.%2BEcol.%2BProg.%2BSer.%26rft.volume%253D3%26rft.spage%253D167%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.3354%252Fmeps003167%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [9]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.3354/meps003167&link_type=DOI