Marine Ecology Progress Series
MEPS is a leading hybrid research journal on all aspects of marine, coastal and estuarine ecology. Priority is given to outstanding research that advances our ecological understanding.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11437
copiedCrude oil contamination interrupts settlement of coral larvae after direct exposure ends
- Aaron C. Hartmann
- Stuart A. Sandin
- Valérie F. Chamberland
- Kristen L. Marhaver
- Jasper M. de Goeij
- Mark J. A. Vermeij
ABSTRACT: Oil spills cause damage to marine wildlife that lasts well past their immediate aftermath. Marine offspring that must settle and metamorphose to reach adulthood may be particularly prone to harm if the legacy of oil exposure interrupts later transitions across life stages. Following an oil spill on Curaçao, we found that oil-contaminated seawater reduced settlement of 2 coral species by 85% and 40% after exposure had ended. The effect of contamination on settlement was more severe than any direct or latent effects on survival. Therefore, oil exposure reduces the ability of corals to transition to their adult life stage, even after they move away from oil contamination. This interruption of the life cycle likely has severe consequences for recruitment success in these foundational and threatened organisms. Latent, sublethal, and behavioral effects on marine organisms—as shown in this study—are not commonly considered during oil-spill impact assessments, increasing the likelihood that harm to marine species goes underestimated or unmeasured.
KEYWORDS
Aaron C. Hartmann (Corresponding Author)
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
Stuart A. Sandin (Co-author)
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
Valérie F. Chamberland (Co-author)
- Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (CARMABI) Foundation, Piscaderabaai z/n, Willemstad, Curaçao
- Aquatic Microbiology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Kristen L. Marhaver (Co-author)
- Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (CARMABI) Foundation, Piscaderabaai z/n, Willemstad, Curaçao
- University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
Jasper M. de Goeij (Co-author)
- Aquatic Environmental Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Mark J. A. Vermeij (Co-author)
- Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (CARMABI) Foundation, Piscaderabaai z/n, Willemstad, Curaçao
- Aquatic Microbiology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands