Effects of oil spill on seawater infiltration and macrobenthic community in tidal flats.
Tidal flat ecosystem simulators are used to clarify the effects of stranded fuel oil on tidal flat ecosystems. Results show that oil spills increase the periphyton on sediment by decreasing the predation stress caused by deposit feeders. About a month after an oil spill, the total population density of the macrobenthos recovered. The oxidation-reduction potential in the surface sediment drops to a negative value after the oil spill, and the anaerobic condition throughout the sediment seems to be responsible for the decrease in the population density of the macrobenthos. The infiltration volume of seawater into the oil-stranded sediment decreases to a third of that without the oil spill. The recovery of infiltration volume after about a month coincides with the recovery of the population density of the macrobenthos. This result suggests that the macrobenthic population is highly dependent on the infiltration of seawater.
Chung
In-Young
IY
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan. ciycandy@me.go.kr
Cho
Kyung-Jin
KJ
Hiraoka
Kiyonori
K
Mukai
Tetsuo
T
Nishijima
Wataru
W
Takimoto
Kazuto
K
Okada
Mitsumasa
M
D004190:Disasters; D017753:Ecosystem; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010578:Petroleum; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012623:Seawater / Q000032:analysis*; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D010578:Petroleum; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical