The role of fucus algae in bioremediation of coastal waters of the Barents Sea from oil products

Abstract

There was estimated the contribution of Fucus algae to the removal of diesel fuel (DF) from the Kola bay of the Barents Sea. The calculations are based on the results of: 1) expeditionary observations of recent years of the reserves, distribution and biomass of fucoids of three parts of the bay and 2) laboratory studies of the ability of four types of fucus (Fucus vesiculosus, F. distichus, F. serratus, Ascophyllum nodosum) to neutralize the toxic effect of diesel fuel. It was shown that the reserves of fucus are 4720 tons of wet weight. The absorption capacity is maximum of F. vesiculosus, and decreases in the series of F. distichus ≥ F. serratus ≥ A. nodosum. The calculations showed that fucoids of the Kola Bay can absorb and recycle about 850 kg of diesel fuel in 5 days. The existing rows of Fucus algae of the Kola Bay are an important element in the implementation of preventive, everyday cleaning of the bay waters from oil products. The inclusion of data of the ability of other representatives of phytobenthos to neutralize DF could increase the role of algae macrophyte in cleaning the coastal marine water from oil products.