Gary Shigenaka

Effects of Residual Exxon Valdez Oil on Intertidal Protothaca staminea: Mortality, Growth, and Bioaccumulation of Hydrocarbons in Transplanted Clams

Abstract Effects of residual Exxon Valdez oil on the intertidal clam, Protothaca staminea , were studied using reciprocal experimental transplants of clams between unoiled and oiled sites. Individually tagged clams were transplanted in 1994 and collected in 1995 and 1996. Mortality, growth, and tissue chemistry data were collected from reference unoiled and oiled clams, clams transplanted from an oiled to unoiled site, and clams moved from an unoiled to oiled site. Greatest mortality occurred in clams originating from the oiled site. Best growth occurred in clams moved from the oiled site to the unoiled area. Largest tissue burdens of hydrocarbons occurred in oiled site clams. There was indication of depuration of hydrocarbons when oiled site clams were transplanted to the unoiled site. Clams transplanted from the unoiled site to oiled site accumulated hydrocarbons after one year. Our results indicate that residual oil, 5–6 years following the EV oil spill, affected survival and growth rates of clams.

SALT MARSH RECOVERY FROM A CRUDE OIL SPILL: VEGETATION, OIL WEATHERING, AND RESPONSE

ABSTRACT Responding to oil spills in marshes is always problematic, since inappropriate response activities can easily add to the overall damage to the marsh. When a spill of Prudhoe Bay crude oil ...

Status of intertidal infaunal communities following the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska.

Intertidal infaunal communities were sampled in Prince William Sound, Alaska from 1990-2000 to evaluate impacts and recovery from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Initial findings suggested that the spill and cleanup depressed abundances of all taxonomic groups. By 1992, abundances of major taxonomic categories at disturbed sites had either converged or paralleled populations at Unoiled sites. Abundances of littleneck clams, Leukoma (Protothaca) staminea, slowly increased at Treated sites and converged with Unoiled sites by 2000. Infaunal population differences positively correlated with fine-grained sediments at Treated sites. We believe that sediment fines removal during cleanup, and subsequent slow natural replenishment, impeded the return of the environment to pre-spill conditions. This suggests physical recovery of spill-affected beaches is an important precursor to biological recovery.

Lessons from 10 Years of Post-Exxon Valdez Monitoring on Intertidal Shorelines

ABSTRACT Intertidal shorelines impacted by the Exxon Valdez oil spill have been monitored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) since late 1989. Originally intended to docum...

IMPACTS ON INTERTIDAL EPIBIOTA: EXXON VALDEZ SPILL AND SUBSEQUENT CLEANUP

ABSTRACT Following the Exxon Valdez spill, several approaches were used to remove crude oil from the beaches of Prince William Sound. Pre- and post-treatment monitoring in 1989 documented the sever...

BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS MONITORING DURING AN OPERATIONAL APPLICATION OF COREXIT 95801

ABSTRACT Following the grounding of the barge Morris J. Berman on the northern coast of Puerto Rico in January 1994, conditional approval for the use of the shoreline cleaner Corexit 9580 was grant...

Effects and Trends in Littleneck Clams (Protothaca Staminea) Impacted by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

ABSTRACT Littleneck clams, Protothaca staminea, are a common intertidal clam species in Prince William Sound. With several years of results from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association/Hazardo...

SCAT: Improving the Process, Training, Tools, Data Management, and Products

ABSTRACT The Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) program is an integral component of spill response, operated under the Environmental Unit of the Planning Section under the Incident Command System. The benefit of SCAT is that it is flexible yet follows systematic processes for collecting and providing information to support cleanup operations. NOAA has provided SCAT training to large numbers of Federal and State responders in the U.S. and often manages the SCAT program during spills of all sizes. NOAA has taken the initiative to update and refine the SCAT process based on lessons learned during recent spills. This initiative includes the following components: 1) Formalization of the SCAT Process to reflect the different phases of SCAT support of Operations; 2) Application of the concept of Response Typing (in terms of the degree of complexity) as part of the SCAT Process to guide procedural SCAT needs, tools, and products for varying response complexity; 3) Development of the SCAT Data Managemen...

IMPACTS ON INTERTIDAL INFAUNA: EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL AND CLEANUP

ABSTRACT Field surveys were conducted throughout Prince William Sound in the summers of 1990 through 1992 to evaluate recovery of infauna from the effects of oiling and shoreline cleaning treatment...

Washington State Case Study and Guidance Developed on the Closing and Re-Opening of a Shellfishery Due to Oil Contamination

ABSTRACT The 128 foot F/V Deep Sea was illegally anchored on Washington state-owned aquatic lands in Whidbey Islands Penn Cove from December 24th 2011 until it sank on May 14th, 2012, following a ...