Prestige Oil Research Articles

Social preferences for large marine protected areas in NW Spain

The Prestige oil spill had numerous negative effects on marine ecosystems, but it also caused a positive effect, as it contributed to the generation of new scientific information that guided to the large marine protected area “Bank of Galicia” lies becoming part of the European Natura 2000 Network. This protected area represents the 10 % of the total marine area of Galicia (NW Spain). Nevertheless, the Convention on Biological Diversity establishes the objective of increasing the total protected area up to 30 %. A discrete choice experiment was conducted to elicit the social preferences for a conservation program of marine biodiversity in Galicia. Among other characteristics such as the expansion of the protected area to the surroundings of Natura 2000 sites, the establishment of new restrictions in the marine protected areas, or the implementation of payments to affected fishermen, the experiment allows to estimate the change in social welfare associated with the surface of large marine protected areas in the NW Spain. Results show that reaching the objective of the Convention on Biological Diversity would imply an increase in well-being, in monetary terms, of 16.4 million of euros.

Long-Term Respiratory and Genotoxic Effects in The Prestige Oil Spill

Long-Term Respiratory and Genotoxic Effects in The Prestige Oil Spill

The use of Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) in a maritime accident: A case study of Prestige

Analyzing maritime accidents plays a key role in improving maritime safety and raising environmental awareness. “The Functional Resonance Analysis Model (FRAM)” describes a structure to provide a system for achieving the aims of accident analysis. This paper considers the application of FRAM for qualitative risk analysis of shipping operations. The Prestige Oil Spill, an environmental catastrophe that caused a great amount of oil spill, is analyzed by using the aforementioned method. Through the results of the analysis, the variabilities of events underlying the accident are tried to be determined, and suggestions to examine them are provided. The essence of having a consistent opinion on the operation of the system and the fact that FRAM is an integral part for enhancing the risk analysis of the ship accidents were found out based on the results of the study.

Population trends of Peregrine Falcon in Northern Spain – Results of a long-term monitoring project

Abstract We monitored Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) population in Bizkaia, Northern Spain, during two decades (1998–2017). Our population increased from 34 to 47 territorial pairs, as did other European populations until the first years of the 21st century, and then declined until 34 territorial pairs in 2017. The combination of catastrophic events (Prestige oil spill), increasing rain in winter and spring, and direct and indirect mortality factors significantly affected incubation onset, productivity and population stability, which in turn could impact on the floater population. Rain in February significantly affected incubation onset, which showed a slight positive trend during the last decade. Juvenile females laid 12 days later than adults, and each adult female started incubation in the same dates every year. However, the proportion of juvenile females did not significantly increase as might have been expected. Moreover, productivity was inversely related to incubation onset dates. Rain in April and May also affected productivity, and combined with short term extreme weather events determined a decreasing productivity during the last decade. Moreover, apart from human persecution (which caused 40.30% of the known deaths of Peregrines), we found 18 cases of breeders affected by infectious diseases, also related to weather. The combined effects of these factors, and the low availability of adequate nesting sites, negatively affected (i) territorial populations, (ii) productivity, and (iii) floater population, which in turn also determined territorial population and productivity.

Pseudomonas gallaeciensis sp. nov., isolated from crude-oil-contaminated intertidal sand samples after the Prestige oil spill

Strains V113T, V92 and V120 have been isolated from sand samples taken at the Atlantic intertidal shore in Galicia, Spain, after the Prestige oil spill. A preliminary analysis of the 16S rRNA and the partial rpoD gene sequences indicated that these strains belonged to the Pseudomonas genus, but they were distinct from any known Pseudomonas species. They were extensively characterized by a polyphasic taxonomic approach and phylogenetic data that confirmed that these strains belonged to the Pseudomonas pertucinogena group. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA, gyrB and rpoD gene sequences showed that the three strains were 99% similar and were closely related to members of the P. pertucinogena group, with less than 94% similarity to strains of established species; Pseudomonas pachastrellae was the closest relative. The Average Nucleotide Index based on blast values was 89.0% between V113T and the P. pachastrellae type strain, below the accepted species level (95%). The predominant cellular fatty acid contents and whole cell protein profiles determined by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry also differentiated the studied strains from known Pseudomonas species. We therefore conclude that strains V113T, V92 and V120 represent a novel species of Pseudomonas, for which the name Pseudomonas gallaeciensis is proposed; the type strain is V113T (=CCUG 67583T=LMG 29038T).

Complex demographic heterogeneity from anthropogenic impacts in a coastal marine predator.

Environmental drivers, including anthropogenic impacts, affect vital rates of organisms. Nevertheless, the influence of these drivers may depend on the physical features of the habitat and how they affect life history strategies depending on individual covariates such as age and sex. Here, the long-term monitoring (1994-2014) of marked European Shags in eight colonies in two regions with different ecological features, such as foraging habitat, allowed us to test several biological hypotheses about how survival changes by age and sex in each region by means of multi-event capture-recapture modeling. Impacts included fishing practices and bycatch, invasive introduced carnivores and the severe Prestige oil spill. Adult survival was constant but, unexpectedly, it was different between sexes. This difference was opposite in each region. The impact of the oil spill on survival was important only for adults (especially for females) in one region and lasted a single year. Juvenile survival was time dependent but this variability was not synchronized between regions, suggesting a strong signal of regional environmental variability. Mortality due to bycatch was also different between sex, age and region. Interestingly the results showed that the size of the fishing fleet is not necessarily a good proxy for assessing the impact of bycatch mortality, which may be more dependent on the fishing grounds and the fishing gears employed in each season of the year. Anthropogenic impacts affected survival differently by age and sex, which was expected for a long-lived organism with sexual size dimorphism. Strikingly, these differences varied depending on the region, indicating that habitat heterogeneity is demographically important to how environmental variability (including anthropogenic impacts) and resilience influence population dynamics.

Environmental crime and judicial rectification of the Prestige oil spill: The polluter pays

The enforcement of institutional rules requires the judicial system to perform well. In the case of oil spills, courts are key actors in determining the allocation of liabilities according to international and national norms. In 2002, the Prestige oil spill led to a major environmental disaster on the coasts of Spain, France and Portugal. The limitations of liability provided by the International Regime of Civil Liability and Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage have prevented the polluters from fully compensating injured parties for the damage the spill produced. In 2013, the Spanish Provincial Court of A Coruña condemned the captain of the tanker for disobedience, but no environmental crime was found; therefore, no further civil liabilities were incurred. Nevertheless, in 2016, the Spanish Supreme Court overruled the ruling of the provincial court and proclaimed the existence of an environmental crime. This judicial rectification changed the allocation of liabilities, extended the application of the polluter-pays principle, and opened a different stage for estimating and covering the costs of the damage. This paper presents a highly relevant case study that analyses the new situation involving oil spills and the distribution of liabilities within the current international regime.

How Sensitive Are Environmental Valuations To Economic Downturns?

This paper assesses the temporal stability of willingness to pay estimates (WTP) under changing economic conditions. Specifically, two questions are addressed: a) is WTP stable over time? And b) if it is not, are the changes just driven by socio-economic effects, or something else? In order to investigate these questions, we used data from the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) study conducted after the Prestige oil spill in Spain in 2006, and a second wave of the same survey repeated in 2009, after Spain entered a serious recession. Median WTP estimates dropped from €60.36 in 2006 to €26.92 in 2009 per household, a statistically significant reduction. To investigate the amount of the drop in WTP due to observables versus changes in preferences between 2006 and 2009, we use the 2006 logit WTP coefficient estimates with 2009 levels of the independent variables and we obtain a WTP of €46.37. This estimate is statistically different from the 2009 estimate (€26.92). In the same fashion, by using 2009 logit WTP coefficients with 2006 data, we obtain an estimate of €50.29, also different from the 2006 estimate. Implications of these findings for temporal stability of welfare measures and benefit transfer exercises are also discussed.

Nonlinear Advection–Diffusion–Reaction Phenomena Involved in the Evolution and Pumping of Oil in Open Sea: Modeling, Numerical Simulation and Validation Considering the Prestige and Oleg Naydenov Oil Spill Cases

The main goal of this article is to improve upon a previous model used to simulate the evolution of oil spots in the open sea and the effect of a skimmer ship pumping oil out from the spots. The concentration of the pollutant is subject to the effects of wind and sea currents, diffusion, and the pumping action of a skimmer (i.e., cleaning) ship that follows a pre-assigned trajectory. This implies that the mathematical model is of the advection---diffusion---reaction type. A drawback of our previous model was that diffusion was propagating with infinite velocity; in this article, we use an improved model relying on a nonlinear diffusion term, implying that diffusion propagates with finite velocity. To reduce numerical diffusion when approximating the advection part of the model, we consider second order discretization schemes with nonlinear flux limiters. We consider also absorbing boundary conditions to insure accurate results near the boundary. To reduce CPU time we use an operator-splitting scheme for the time discretization. Finally, we also introduce the modeling of coastlines and dynamic sources of pollutant. The novel approach we advocate in this article is validated by comparing our numerical results with real life measurements from the Oleg Naydenov and the Prestige oil spills, which took place in Spain in 2015 and 2002, respectively.

Persistence of Breakage in Specific Chromosome Bands 6 Years after Acute Exposure to Oil.

BackgroundThe identification of breakpoints involved in chromosomal damage could help to detect genes involved in genetic disorders, most notably cancer. Until now, only one published study, carried out by our group, has identified chromosome bands affected by exposure to oil from an oil spill. In that study, which was performed two years after the initial oil exposure in individuals who had participated in clean-up tasks following the wreck of the Prestige, three chromosomal bands (2q21, 3q27, 5q31) were found to be especially prone to breakage. A recent follow-up study, performed on the same individuals, revealed that the genotoxic damage had persisted six years after oil exposure.ObjectivesTo determine whether there exist chromosome bands which are especially prone to breakages and to know if there is some correlation with those detected in the previous study. In addition, to investigate if the DNA repair problems detected previously persist in the present study.DesignFollow-up study performed six years after the Prestige oil spill.SettingFishermen cooperatives in coastal villages.ParticipantsFishermen highly exposed to oil spill who participated in previous genotoxic study six years after the oil.MeasurementsChromosome damage in peripheral lymphocytes. For accurate identification of the breakpoints involved in chromosome damage of circulating lymphocytes, a sequential stain/G-banding technique was employed. To determine the most break-prone chromosome bands, two statistical methods, the Fragile Site Multinomial and the chi-square tests (where the bands were corrected by their length) were used. To compare the chromosome lesions, structural chromosome alterations and gaps/breaks between two groups of individuals we used the GEE test which takes into account a possible within-individual correlation. Dysfunctions in DNA repair mechanisms, expressed as chromosome damage, were assessed in cultures with aphidicolin by the GEE test.ResultsCytogenetic analyses were performed in 47 exposed individuals. A total of 251 breakpoints in exposed individuals) were identified, showing a non-uniform distribution in the human ideogram. Ten chromosome bands were found to be especially prone to breakage through both statistical methods. By comparing these bands with those observed in certain exposed individuals who had already participated the previous study, it was found in both studies that four bands (2q21, 3q27, 5q31 and 17p11.2) are particularly sensitive to breakage. Additionally, the dysfunction in DNA repair mechanisms was not significantly higher in oil-exposed individuals than in non-exposed individuals.LimitationsThe sample size and the possibility of some kind of selection bias should be considered. Genotoxic results cannot be extrapolated to the high number of individuals who participated occasionally in clean-up tasks.ConclusionOur findings show the existence of at least four target bands (2q21, 3q27, 5q31 and 17p11.2) with a greater propensity to break over time after an acute exposure to oil. The breaks in these bands, which are commonly involved in hematological cancer, may explain the increase of cancer risk reported in chronically benzene-exposed individuals. In addition, a more efficiency of the DNA repair mechanisms has been detected six years after in fishermen who were highly exposed to the oil spill. To date, only this study, performed by our group on the previous and present genotoxic effects, has analyzed the chromosomal regions affected by breakage after an acute oil exposure.

Assessing the impact of extreme adverse weather on the biological traits of a European storm petrel colony

AbstractClimate change affects the climatic disturbance patterns and regimes and is altering the frequency and intensity of subtropical cyclones. These events can affect population dynamics of seabirds (e.g., survival, reproduction). In this work we tested the effect of adverse weather on a colony of European storm petrels (Hydrobates pelagicus) located in a small islet (Aketx) in northern Spain. Over a long‐term monitoring period (1993–2014) we ringed 3728 petrels. From 2003 onwards we also monitored breeding success, the percentage of immature individuals and moult scores. We used Cormack‐Jolly‐Seber models and Underhill and Zucchini models to analyze the effects of climatic conditions on a number of biological traits (survival, breeding parameters, moulting patterns). Our analyses revealed a constant value of adult survival over the 26‐year monitoring period. Recapture probability, however, tended to be positively influenced by NAO conditions in spring, and negatively influenced by NAO conditions in winter (although this would only affect to a fraction of first‐captured birds). Moreover, the impact of adverse weather, especially in 2011 and 2014, resulted in an increasing proportion of yearlings in the breeding population, a lower breeding success and a delayed onset of moult. These effects were similar to those observed during the Prestige oil spill catastrophe.

Health status of the Bilbao estuary: A review of data from a multidisciplinary approach

Estuarine and marine ecosystems are subject to different sources of stress including changes in environmental physicochemical variables (nutrients, oxygen availability, temperature, salinity, pH) or exposure to a large cocktail of environmental pollutants. In the estuary of Bilbao, despite the improvement in environmental quality due to replacement of most polluting industries and the progressive implementation of an integrated sewage treatment plan, chronic pollution by metals and hydrocarbons still remains, together with eutrophication and pollution by emerging contaminants. The Unit of Formation and Research “Protection of Ecosystem Health” was created in 2012 through the strategic aggregation of three consolidated research groups: Cell Biology in Environmental Toxicology (CBET), Phytoplankton of estuaries and coastal areas (FITEAC) and Research on marine and estuarine pelagic environment and planktonic communities (MarEsPlank). The three groups have a long tradition in studying the health of marine and estuarine ecosystems from different perspectives, focusing in the Bay of Biscay and especially in the estuary of Bilbao. In this work we review data on the health status of the Bilbao estuary using early warning tools at the cell and tissue levels, phytoplankton assemblages and zooplankton ecology. In spite of the seasonal and interannual variability recorded for some parameters, a general recovery trend was observed for the health status in the estuary of Bilbao, with sporadic critical events such as the Prestige oil spill.

Human Genotoxic Study Carried Out Two Years after Oil Exposure during the Clean-up Activities Using Two Different Biomarkers

Micronuclei, comet and chromosome alterations assays are the most widely used biomarkers for determining the genotoxic damage in a population exposed to genotoxic chemicals. While chromosome alterations are an excellent biomarker to detect short- and long-term genotoxic effects, the comet assay only measures early biological effects, and furthermore it is unknown whether nuclear abnormalies, such as those measured in the micronucleus test, remain detectable long-term after an acute exposure. In our previous study, an increase in structural chromosome alterations in fishermen involved in the clean-up of the Prestige oil spill, two years after acute exposure, was detected. The aim of this study is to investigate whether, in lymphocytes from peripheral blood, the nuclear abnormalies (micronucleus, nucleoplasmic bridges and nuclear buds) have a similar sensitivity to the chromosome damage analysis for genotoxic detection two years after oil exposure in the same non-smoker individuals and in the same peripheral blood extraction. No significant differences in nuclear abnormalies frequencies between exposed and non-exposed individuals were found (p > 0.05). However, chromosome damage, in the same individuals, was higher in exposed vs. non-exposed individuals, especially for chromosome lesions (p < 0.05). These findings, despite the small sample size, suggest that nuclear abnormalities are probably less-successful biomarkers than are chromosome alterations to evaluate genotoxic effects two or more years after an exposure to oil. Due to the great advantage of micronucleus automatic determination, which allows for a rapid study of hundreds of individuals exposed to genotoxic chemical exposure, further studies are needed to confirm whether this assay is or is not useful in long-term genotoxic studies after the toxic agent is no longer present.

Effects of temporal bias on the assessment of an ecological perturbation: a case study of the Prestige oil spill

The impacts of unpredictable ecological perturbations are often assessed via measurements of environmental change only after the event has occurred. Temporal series of satellite images provide a cost-effective way to gather information before ecological perturbations occur. However, in previous studies, the disturbances have neither been always centred in time in the series of the focal environmental variable nor has the relevance of the temporal coverage been explicitly tested through factorial designs. In this study, we manipulated the temporal coverage and the position of the disturbance event in the temporal series to examine whether and how the assessment is affected. Specifically, we tested the effect of the Prestige oil spill on monthly sea chlorophyll concentration and net primary productivity along the north-western Spanish coast. We designed planned comparisons through factorial analyses to test two alternative hypotheses: (1) the spill has negative consequences on phytoplankton activity and/or abundance due to physiological constraints or (2) it has positive consequences on phytoplankton abundance as a result of changes in biotic interactions. The relevance of the statistical effects was critically dependent on the temporal coverage and the position of the spill event in the temporal series. Short periods (three years) were insufficient to cover the range of variability even if the disturbance was centred in the time series. Similarly, results from longer time series (up to eight years) in which the event was temporally biased (at the beginning of the time series) also differed from those that were centred in the entire time window. Temporal series for the study of ecological impacts should be as long as necessary to encompass the temporal variability of the study systems (up to nine years in our study case), and the disturbance event should be centred in the time series to reduce potential spurious effects of temporal autocorrelation. However, our results revealed that each one of these requirements alone was not sufficient to encompass all of the natural variability, and thus both requirements should be met. For impact assessments we encourage the use of unbiased satellite data series to complement in situ measurements.

Did the Prestige oil spill compromise bird reproductive performance? Evidences from long-term data on the Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) in NW Iberian Peninsula

The NW Iberian Kentish Plover population inhabits sparsely vegetated beaches for foraging, roosting, nesting and rearing young. The lifestyle of this population makes them particularly vulnerable to oil spill pollution. We analyzed long-term data on breeding success, egg structure, female condition and breeding effort to ascertain the effects of Prestige oil on reproductive performance and length of time of reproductive disruption. The results showed temporal variation to A-egg volume and a change in the pattern of intraclutch egg-size. Eggshell thickness declined in the years following the oil spill and slightly recovered eight years later. A similar decline was observed in female mass and condition. Egg fertility was significantly different before and after the Prestige oil spill, although the low hatching success could have caused this parameter to be underestimated. Nest desertion, which is rare in this population, occurred only in the post-Prestige period. Our study revealed that exposure of the Kentish Plover to the Prestige oil spill adversely affected their reproductive performance by altering the condition of individual members of the population and by changing egg quality for more than just the immediate years after the spill event. The extent of the effects of the spill event on population dynamics could be underestimated due to low hatching and fledging success.

The effect of oil spills on the bacterial diversity and catabolic function in coastal sediments: a case study on the Prestige oil spill.

The accident of the Prestige oil tanker in 2002 contaminated approximately 900 km of the coastline along the northern Spanish shore, as well as parts of Portugal and France coast, with a mixture of heavy crude oil consisting of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alkanes, asphaltenes and resins. The capacity of the autochthonous bacterial communities to respond to the oil spill was assessed indirectly by determining the hydrocarbon profiles of weathered oil samples collected along the shore, as well as through isotope ratios of seawater-dissolved CO2, and directly by analyses of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprints and 16S rRNA gene libraries. Overall, the results evidenced biodegradation of crude oil components mediated by natural bacterial communities, with a bias towards lighter and less substituted compounds. The changes observed in the Proteobacteria, the most abundant phylum in marine sediments, were related to the metabolic profiles of the sediment. The presence of crude oil in the supratidal and intertidal zones increased the abundance of Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria, dominated by the groups Sphingomonadaceae, Rhodobacteraceae and Chromatiales, whilst Gamma- and Deltaproteobacteria were more relevant in subtidal zones. The phylum Actinobacteria, and particularly the genus Rhodococcus, was a key player in the microbial response to the spill, especially in the degradation of the alkane fraction. The addition of inorganic fertilizers enhanced total biodegradation rates, suggesting that, in these environments, nutrients were insufficient to support significant growth after the huge increase in carbon sources, as evidenced in other spills. The presence of bacterial communities able to respond to a massive oil input in this area was consistent with the important history of pollution of the region by crude oil.

Institutional analysis, allocation of liabilities and third-party enforcement via courts: The case of the Prestige oil spill

Coase, 1960 [13] constituted a starting point to the New Institutional Economics and the new Law and Economics. In the new institutional approach, institutional rules and enforcement-mechanisms are considered as key elements to internalise spillover effects in a society with high transaction costs. This paper reviews the case of the Prestige oil spill and performs an institutional analysis on the implementation of rules and the assignment of responsibilities by the courts of justice from the new institutional approach. In November 2003, the sinking of the oil tanker Prestige off the coast of Galicia (Spain) provoked an oil spill that resulted in one of the worst maritime disasters of the 21st century. The ex-post assignment of responsibilities for the disaster was characterised by errors in the technical inspections of the oil tanker, the inadequate prevailing rules and the inability of the courts of justice to determine responsibilities, which gave rise to an imperfect institutional solution. In this case, the polluter did not have to pay in accordance with the high level of pollution. In particular, the Spanish justice system acquitted the accused from committing an environmental crime, and in the absence of a crime, there were no civil liabilities for the damage caused by the oil spill.

Evolution of metaphors: Phylogeny of oil slick cartoons in Spanish press

The main purpose of this article is to analyze the evolution of a metaphor set over time. By studying cartoons about the oil slick caused by the Prestige oil tanker in 2002 on Spanish shores and the subsequent court decision in 2013, we observe a progressive metaphor diversification and evolution, with the oil slick as an old common trait. Additionally, using basic cladistical methods, we propose a phylogenetic tree for the metaphor set, from a common ancestor to the subsequent diversification regarding news content. These results show that phylogenetic models can be very helpful in understanding the evolution of conceptual metaphors, and this method of analysis could even be a methodological pattern for the study of other similar events.

Opportunities, incentives and challenges to risk sensitive land use planning: Lessons from Nepal, Spain and Vietnam

This paper addresses one of the most pressing drivers of risk: land use planning and pressures placed on land use by private and public investors. Three case studies are developed, analyzing both private and public investment decisions and the interplay between regulations, acting as various incentives or disincentives. In Vietnam, dynamic urbanization is linked to political liberalization in terms of migration, private industries, land markets and urban planning. This has resulted in rapid urban growth, thereby increasing risk through urban sprawl into hazard prone areas that had previously been kept clear of urban development. In northwestern Spain, the “A Frouxeira” seashore lagoon and wetland are severely threatened by agriculture expansion, dune mining, tree plantations, tourism and the Prestige oil spill in 2002, which placed significant pressures on this fragile ecosystem, leading to social and environmental conflicts. Finally in Nepal, poor food security, landslides and changing climate conditions are pushing people out of mountainous areas to the plains and abroad, leading to illegal settlements springing up in flood-prone riverbanks. Governance is inadequate to prevent these illegal settlements but the city has now become liable for the safety of persons residing in these dangerous areas.These cases highlight how private and public investments at various levels are increasing risks and what public solutions are envisaged, if at all, to address these risks, while highlighting the difficult trade-offs between development, risk and governance. Perhaps one of the strongest arguments in favor of risk sensitive land use planning is its cost-effectiveness, considering the high costs of structural measures to reducing risk. This can include ecosystem-based approaches as part of integrated planning, an often overlooked element of DRR for mitigating hazards, reducing vulnerabilities by providing livelihood resources and even exposure when dangerous areas are converted to green belts. Finally, we conclude that more effective risk reduction is possible through improved spatial planning.

The effect of sand composition on the degradation of buried oil

The potential effects of the mineralogical composition of sediment on the degradation of oil buried on sandy beaches were investigated. Toward that purpose, a laboratory experiment was carried out with sandy sediment collected along NW Iberian Peninsula beaches, tar-balls from the Prestige oil spill (NW Spain) and seawater. The results indicate that the mineralogical composition is important for the physical appearance of the oil (tar-balls or oil coatings). This finding prompted a reassessment of the current sequence of degradation for buried oil based on compositional factors. Moreover, the halo development of the oil coatings might be enhanced by the carbonate concentration of the sand. These findings open new prospects for future monitoring and management programs for oiled sandy beaches.