Oceans

Macondo-1 well oil-derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mesozooplankton from the northern Gulf of Mexico

  1. Siddhartha Mitra1,
  2. David G. Kimmel2,3,
  3. Jessica Snyder2,
  4. Kimberly Scalise1,
  5. Benjamin D. McGlaughon2,
  6. Michael R. Roman4,
  7. Ginger L. Jahn4,
  8. James J. Pierson4,
  9. Stephen B. Brandt5,
  10. Joseph P. Montoya6,
  11. Robert J. Rosenbauer7,
  12. Thomas D. Lorenson7,
  13. Florence L. Wong7,
  14. Pamela L. Campbell8

Article first published online: 14 JAN 2012

DOI: 10.1029/2011GL049505

Issue

Geophysical Research Letters

Geophysical Research Letters

Additional Information

How to Cite

Mitra, S., et al. (2012), Macondo-1 well oil-derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mesozooplankton from the northern Gulf of Mexico, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L01605, doi:10.1029/2011GL049505.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Geological Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA

  2. 2

    Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA

  3. 3

    Institute for Coastal Sciences and Policy, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA

  4. 4

    Horn Point Laboratory, Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland, Cambridge, Maryland, USA

  5. 5

    Oregon Sea Grant, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA

  6. 6

    School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

  7. 7

    Pacific Coastal Marine Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California, USA

  8. 8

    Water Resources, National Research Program, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California, USA

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 14 JAN 2012
  2. Article first published online: 14 JAN 2012
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 11 DEC 2011
  4. Manuscript Revised: 7 DEC 2011
  5. Manuscript Received: 7 OCT 2011

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Keywords:

  • 2010 oil spill;
  • Deepwater Horizon;
  • Gulf of Mexico;
  • PAHs

[1] Mesozooplankton (>200 μm) collected in August and September of 2010 from the northern Gulf of Mexico show evidence of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that distributions of PAHs extracted from mesozooplankton were related to the oil released from the ruptured British Petroleum Macondo-1 (M-1) well associated with the R/VDeepwater Horizon blowout. Mesozooplankton contained 0.03–97.9 ng g−1 of total PAHs and ratios of fluoranthene to fluoranthene + pyrene less than 0.44, indicating a liquid fossil fuel source. The distribution of PAHs isolated from mesozooplankton extracted in this study shows that the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill may have contributed to contamination in the northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.

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