Exposure to oil from the 2015 Refugio spill alters the physiology of a common harmful algal bloom species, Pseudo-nitzschia australis, and the ubiquitous coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi

Tanika M. Ladd; Jessica A. Bullington; Paul G. Matson; Raphael M. Kudela; M. Débora Iglesias-Rodríguez

doi:10.3354/meps12710

Exposure to oil from the 2015 Refugio spill alters the physiology of a common harmful algal bloom species, Pseudo-nitzschia australis, and the ubiquitous coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi

Tanika M. Ladd, Jessica A. Bullington, Paul G. Matson, Raphael M. Kudela, M. Débora Iglesias-Rodríguez

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Short-term oil exposure impacts on the harmful algal bloom (HAB) species Pseudonitzschia australis and the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi were studied by investigating physiological responses in growth, production of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP), P. australis domoic acid (DA) content, and E. huxleyi calcification, with the goal of better understanding the potential effects of the 2015 oil spill near Refugio State Beach in the Santa Barbara Channel, California (USA). While oil exposure negatively impacted growth of both species, P. australis appeared to be more sensitive to oil exposure compared to E. huxleyi. Increased cellular TEP (both species) and DA (P. australis), and abnormal calcification (E. huxleyi) were observed in the presence of oil. The physiological changes detected in these locally important phytoplankton species have implications for other ecosystem processes, human health, and the fate of the spilled oil. The results from this study enhance our understanding of the repercussions of oil pollution events, but further research is necessary to explore ecosystem-wide impacts and chronic or long-term effects of oil in marine environments.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	61-78
Number of pages	18
Journal	Marine Ecology Progress Series
Volume	603
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12710
State	Published - Sep 17 2018
Externally published	Yes

Funding

Acknowledgements. This work was supported by the Simons Foundation (no. 385324) and the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Associated Students Coastal Fund (no. FALL15-14). We thank Prof. David Valentine (UCSB) for supplying oil collected at Platform Holly and NOAA for supplying oil from the Refugio spill, Scott Lor-anger for providing us with a density measurement for the Platform Holly oil, Andrea Valdez-Schulz and Reina Myers for help in the laboratory, and Christoph Pierre and Christian Orsini for seawater collection. We also thank our colleagues, Dr. Uta Passow and Julia Sweet from UCSB, for their assistance with measuring and analyzing TEP and Kendra Hayashi from the University of California, Santa Cruz, for her assistance with domoic acid analysis.

Funders	Funder number
Simons Foundation	385324
University of California, Santa Barbara

Keywords

Domoic acid
Emiliania huxleyi
Oil
Phytoplankton
Pseudo-nitzschia australis
Refugio oil spill

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.3354/meps12710

Cite this

Ladd, T. M., Bullington, J. A., Matson, P. G., Kudela, R. M., & Débora Iglesias-Rodríguez, M. (2018). Exposure to oil from the 2015 Refugio spill alters the physiology of a common harmful algal bloom species, Pseudo-nitzschia australis, and the ubiquitous coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 603, 61-78. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12710

@article{1feff07bd440410aaaffcfe57c8d18e9,

title = "Exposure to oil from the 2015 Refugio spill alters the physiology of a common harmful algal bloom species, Pseudo-nitzschia australis, and the ubiquitous coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi",

abstract = "Short-term oil exposure impacts on the harmful algal bloom (HAB) species Pseudonitzschia australis and the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi were studied by investigating physiological responses in growth, production of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP), P. australis domoic acid (DA) content, and E. huxleyi calcification, with the goal of better understanding the potential effects of the 2015 oil spill near Refugio State Beach in the Santa Barbara Channel, California (USA). While oil exposure negatively impacted growth of both species, P. australis appeared to be more sensitive to oil exposure compared to E. huxleyi. Increased cellular TEP (both species) and DA (P. australis), and abnormal calcification (E. huxleyi) were observed in the presence of oil. The physiological changes detected in these locally important phytoplankton species have implications for other ecosystem processes, human health, and the fate of the spilled oil. The results from this study enhance our understanding of the repercussions of oil pollution events, but further research is necessary to explore ecosystem-wide impacts and chronic or long-term effects of oil in marine environments.",

keywords = "Domoic acid, Emiliania huxleyi, Oil, Phytoplankton, Pseudo-nitzschia australis, Refugio oil spill",

author = "Ladd, {Tanika M.} and Bullington, {Jessica A.} and Matson, {Paul G.} and Kudela, {Raphael M.} and {D{\'e}bora Iglesias-Rodr{\'i}guez}, M.",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Inter-Research 2018.",

year = "2018",

month = sep,

day = "17",

doi = "10.3354/meps12710",

language = "English",

volume = "603",

pages = "61--78",

journal = "Marine Ecology Progress Series",

issn = "0171-8630",

publisher = "Inter Research",

}

Exposure to oil from the 2015 Refugio spill alters the physiology of a common harmful algal bloom species, Pseudo-nitzschia australis, and the ubiquitous coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi. / Ladd, Tanika M.; Bullington, Jessica A.; Matson, Paul G. et al.
In: Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 603, 17.09.2018, p. 61-78.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Exposure to oil from the 2015 Refugio spill alters the physiology of a common harmful algal bloom species, Pseudo-nitzschia australis, and the ubiquitous coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi

AU - Ladd, Tanika M.

AU - Bullington, Jessica A.

AU - Matson, Paul G.

AU - Kudela, Raphael M.

AU - Débora Iglesias-Rodríguez, M.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Inter-Research 2018.

PY - 2018/9/17

Y1 - 2018/9/17

N2 - Short-term oil exposure impacts on the harmful algal bloom (HAB) species Pseudonitzschia australis and the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi were studied by investigating physiological responses in growth, production of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP), P. australis domoic acid (DA) content, and E. huxleyi calcification, with the goal of better understanding the potential effects of the 2015 oil spill near Refugio State Beach in the Santa Barbara Channel, California (USA). While oil exposure negatively impacted growth of both species, P. australis appeared to be more sensitive to oil exposure compared to E. huxleyi. Increased cellular TEP (both species) and DA (P. australis), and abnormal calcification (E. huxleyi) were observed in the presence of oil. The physiological changes detected in these locally important phytoplankton species have implications for other ecosystem processes, human health, and the fate of the spilled oil. The results from this study enhance our understanding of the repercussions of oil pollution events, but further research is necessary to explore ecosystem-wide impacts and chronic or long-term effects of oil in marine environments.

AB - Short-term oil exposure impacts on the harmful algal bloom (HAB) species Pseudonitzschia australis and the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi were studied by investigating physiological responses in growth, production of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP), P. australis domoic acid (DA) content, and E. huxleyi calcification, with the goal of better understanding the potential effects of the 2015 oil spill near Refugio State Beach in the Santa Barbara Channel, California (USA). While oil exposure negatively impacted growth of both species, P. australis appeared to be more sensitive to oil exposure compared to E. huxleyi. Increased cellular TEP (both species) and DA (P. australis), and abnormal calcification (E. huxleyi) were observed in the presence of oil. The physiological changes detected in these locally important phytoplankton species have implications for other ecosystem processes, human health, and the fate of the spilled oil. The results from this study enhance our understanding of the repercussions of oil pollution events, but further research is necessary to explore ecosystem-wide impacts and chronic or long-term effects of oil in marine environments.

KW - Domoic acid

KW - Emiliania huxleyi

KW - Oil

KW - Phytoplankton

KW - Pseudo-nitzschia australis

KW - Refugio oil spill

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053481179&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3354/meps12710

DO - 10.3354/meps12710

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85053481179

SN - 0171-8630

VL - 603

SP - 61

EP - 78

JO - Marine Ecology Progress Series

JF - Marine Ecology Progress Series

ER -

Exposure to oil from the 2015 Refugio spill alters the physiology of a common harmful algal bloom species, Pseudo-nitzschia australis, and the ubiquitous coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this