Abstract
Coral reefs are keystone coastal ecosystems that are at risk of exposure to petroleum from a range of sources, and are one of the highest valued natural resources for protection in Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) in oil spill response. Previous research evaluating dissolved hydrocarbon impacts to corals reflected no clear characterization of sensitivity, representing an important knowledge gap in oil spill preparedness related to the potential impact of oil spills to the coral animal and its photosymbiont zooxanthellae. This research addresses this gap, using a standardized toxicity protocol to evaluate effects of a dissolved reference hydrocarbon on scleractinian corals. The relative sensitivity of five Atlantic scleractinian coral species to hydrocarbon exposure was assessed with 48-h assays using the reference polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 1-methylnaphthalene, based on physical coral condition, mortality, and photosynthetic efficiency. The threatened staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis was found to be the most sensitive to 1-methylnaphthalene exposure. Overall, the acute and subacute endpoints indicated that the tested coral species were comparatively more resilient to hydrocarbon exposure than other marine species. These results provide a framework for the prediction of oil spill impacts and impact thresholds on the coral animal and related habitats, essential for informing oil spill response in coastal tropical environments.
Highlights
Coral reefs are keystone coastal ecosystems that are at risk of exposure to petroleum from a range of sources, and are one of the highest valued natural resources for protection in Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) in oil spill response
No significant difference (p > 0.05) in alkalinity between treatments was found for S. bournoni, significant differences in alkalinity (p < 0.05) were found for A. cervicornis, P. astreoides, S. intersepta, and S. siderea, with alkalinity significantly higher in the high or two highest 1-MN concentrations compared to controls for A. cervicornis, P. astreoides, and S. siderea, potentially due to reduced calcification under high hydrocarbon concentration conditions
The measured acute and sub-lethal endpoints indicate that the Atlantic staghorn coral, A. cervicornis, was the most sensitive to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure; its status as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act is an important consideration in the oil spill response planning process
Summary
Coral reefs are keystone coastal ecosystems that are at risk of exposure to petroleum from a range of sources, and are one of the highest valued natural resources for protection in Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) in oil spill response. The acute and subacute endpoints indicated that the tested coral species were comparatively more resilient to hydrocarbon exposure than other marine species These results provide a framework for the prediction of oil spill impacts and impact thresholds on the coral animal and related habitats, essential for informing oil spill response in coastal tropical environments. The target species represent five distinct genera found in western Atlantic coral reef environments which have a range of resilience to environmental disturbance[17], and may represent a broad assessment of the sensitivity of this taxonomic group to petroleum hydrocarbons These new acute and subacute toxicological endpoints can be used to evaluate the potential impacts of hydrocarbons on scleractinian corals relative to other coral reef organisms, and are an essential tool for informing oil spill response decision-making in coral reef environments
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