Morphological condition of Pacific herring embryos collected from field sites in San Francisco Bay in February 2008.

<p>Sampling and imaging of embryos is described elsewhere (1). (A) Opaque dead embryos within chorions from a site (Sausalito waterfront) affected by the Cosco Busan spill. Arrows indicate pigmented eyes on an embryo protruding from a ruptured chorion, while yellow dashed lines outline the “ghosts” of necrotic late embryos. (B) Embryos within chorions from the same site after recovery in February 2010. Viable hatching-stage embryos are translucent, with pigmented eyes indicated by arrows. Scale bar 1 mm.</p

Dose-dependent pericardial edema in herring embryos after oil exposure under UV-reducing plastic.

<p>Edema was quantified in live, hatched larvae. Values represent the mean percent ± SEM from three replicates for each control or oil dose for the experiments starting 22 January (A), 26 February (B) and 18 March (C). Nominal oil loadings (0.1, 0.3, and 1.0 g/kg) are indicated for each oil (ANSCO, <i>ANS</i>; CBBO, <i>CB</i>). Tissue PACs are shown for the 26 February and 18 March experiments as sum total (∑) PACs, sum parent and alkylated naphthalenes (NPHs), sum parent and alkylated tricyclic compounds (TACs; fluorenes, dibenzothiophenes, phenanthrenes), and sum high molecular weight compounds (HMW; fluoranthene, pyrene, C1-fluoranthene/pyrenes, benz[<i>a</i>]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[<i>b</i>]fluoranthene, benzo[<i>j</i>]fluoranthene/benzo[<i>k</i>]fluoranthene, benzo[e]pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, perylene, indeno[1,2,3-<i>cd</i>]pyrene, dibenz[<i>a</i>,<i>h</i>]anthracene/dibenz[<i>a</i>,<i>c</i>]anthracene, and benzo[<i>ghi</i>]perylene).</p

4-ring PACs in CBBO are phototoxic, but 3-ring heterocyclic PACs are not.

<p>Zebrafish embryos were exposed from 4–24 hours post-fertilization to 50 µM (A) pyrene, (B) fluoranthene, (C) chrysene, (D) dibenzothiophene and (E) carbazole, followed by 20 min sunlight exposure. Left panels show PAC-exposed maintained in darkness, right panels show subsamples exposed to ambient sunlight. Arrowheads indicate necrotic regions. PAC structures are shown in the insets. Scale bar is 0.5 mm.</p

Aqueous PAC levels in column effluents under UV-reducing plastic.

1<p>Values are ng/L, mean ± s.e.m. (except upper 95% confidence limits, CL).</p

Late embryonic necrosis in herring resulting from CBBO exposure under UV-transmitting plastic is prevented by UV-reducing plastic.

<p>Representative embryos from the 22 January experiment are shown at 8 dpf within intact chorions. (A) CBBO 1.0 g/kg dose under UV-transmitting plastic. (B) CBBO 1.0 g/kg dose under UV-reducing plastic. (C) ANSCO 1.0 g/kg dose under UV-transmitting plastic. Arrows indicate pigmented eyes on each embryo, arrowheads in B and C indicate free portion of tail coiled around the yolk sac, which is absent in A. Scale bar is 1 mm.</p

PAC composition of oils, oiled gravel effluent, and exposed herring embryos.

<p>Composition of PACs determined by GC/MS represented as percent of summed PACs for each of 39 analytes. Data for oiled gravel effluent and embryos are shown only for the highest dose of oil under UV blocking conditions from the 26 February experiment, but are representative of the general patterns observed in all treatments. Data from whole oils are derived from a single determination. Data for effluent and embryos are the mean and s.e.m. of three determinations. (A) Whole 20% weathered ANSCO that was applied to gravel. (B) Aqueous PACs in effluent from 1.0 g/kg ANSCO gravel. (C) Tissue PACs in embryos exposed to effluent in B. (D) Whole unweathered CBBO applied to gravel. (E) Aqueous PACs in effluent from 1.0 g/kg CBBO gravel. (F) Tissue PACs in embryos exposed to effluent in E. N, naphthalenes; AY, acenaphthylene; AE, acenaphthene; F, fluorene; D, dibenzothiophene; P, phenanthrene; A, anthracene; FL, fluoranthene; PY, pyrene; FP, fluoranthenes/pyrenes; BA, benz[<i>a</i>]anthracene; C, chrysene; BBF, benzo[<i>b</i>]fluoranthene; BJKF, benzo[<i>j</i>]fluoranthene/benzo[<i>k</i>]fluoranthene; BEP, benzo[e]pyrene; BAP, benzo[a]pyrene; PER, perylene; IND, indeno[1,2,3-<i>cd</i>]pyrene, DBA, dibenz[<i>a</i>,<i>h</i>]anthracene/dibenz[<i>a</i>,<i>c</i>]anthracene; GHI, benzo[<i>ghi</i>]perylene. Parent compound is indicated by a 0 (e.g., N0), while numbers of additional carbons (e.g. methyl groups) for alkylated homologs are indicated as N1, N2, etc.</p

Tissue concentrations of phototoxic PACs compared to estimated phototoxic doses.

1<p>Measured values and estimated LC₅₀s are ng/g wet weight.</p>2<p>Reference <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0030116#pone.0030116-Barron1" target="_blank">[10]</a>.</p

Health of Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, Following the <i>Deepwater Horizon</i> Oil Spill

The oil spill resulting from the explosion of the <i>Deepwater Horizon</i> drilling platform initiated immediate concern for marine wildlife, including common bottlenose dolphins in sensitive coastal habitats. To evaluate potential sublethal effects on dolphins, health assessments were conducted in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, an area that received heavy and prolonged oiling, and in a reference site, Sarasota Bay, Florida, where oil was not observed. Dolphins were temporarily captured, received a veterinary examination, and were then released. Dolphins sampled in Barataria Bay showed evidence of hypoadrenocorticism, consistent with adrenal toxicity as previously reported for laboratory mammals exposed to oil. Barataria Bay dolphins were 5 times more likely to have moderate–severe lung disease, generally characterized by significant alveolar interstitial syndrome, lung masses, and pulmonary consolidation. Of 29 dolphins evaluated from Barataria Bay, 48% were given a guarded or worse prognosis, and 17% were considered poor or grave, indicating that they were not expected to survive. Disease conditions in Barataria Bay dolphins were significantly greater in prevalence and severity than those in Sarasota Bay dolphins, as well as those previously reported in other wild dolphin populations. Many disease conditions observed in Barataria Bay dolphins are uncommon but consistent with petroleum hydrocarbon exposure and toxicity