title: Response of estuarine meio- and macrofauna to in situ bioremediation of oil-contaminated sediment.
abstract: Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of bioremediation for enhancing oil removal but the ecological effect on shoreline biota is unclear. Therefore, a field experiment was designed at an intertidal sandflat in SW England to assess the effects of nutrient addition to oiled sediments on meio- and macrofauna for a period of up to 45 weeks. Natural assemblages were exposed to different types of experimental treatments (no oil, oil alone, oil treated with slow-release fertiliser or liquid fertiliser). Bioremediation stimulated the microbial population and increased oil biodegradation. This, however, did not result in faster recolonisation rates of fertilised versus non-fertilised oiled sediments. Mild effects of oil and bioremediation treatments on benthic fauna were observed, including short-term shifts in dominance patterns. Decreased abundance of dominant species in the oiled compared to unoiled sediments resulted in significantly higher evenness of benthic assemblages within the first 11 weeks of the experiment.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory, NR33 0HT, Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK. m.schratzberger@cefas.co.uk
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schratzberger
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Caroline M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kilbride
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Macnaughton
authors.forename: Siân E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: Hubert L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Richard P J
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Swannell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D017753:Ecosystem; D004739:England; D005308:Fertilizers; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D007448:Invertebrates; D010578:Petroleum; D011157:Population Dynamics; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D010578:Petroleum