Effects of the 'Prestige' oil spill on macroalgal assemblages: large-scale comparison.
An assessment of the effects of the 'Prestige' oil spill on intertidal, macroalgal assemblages was carried out comparing abundance data obtained before and after the spill. Four zones in the North and Northwest coast of Spain were sampled, one of them located at the immediate vicinity of the spill, the zone most heavily oiled. Macroalgal assemblages had similar structure between years. Neither critical decrease in abundance of the dominant macroalgae, nor increase in opportunistic species were found. Some differences in abundance were observed, but they did not show any pattern, being more likely the result of the natural variability of the assemblage. Extensive, but not intense fuel deposition on the shores and a limited use of aggressive cleanup methods are suggested as possible causes for the lack of the effects in these assemblages after the 'Prestige' oil spill.
Lobón
Carla M
CM
Dpto. de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Unidad de Ecología, Universidad de Oviedo, C/Catedrático Rodrigo Uría s/n, 33071 Oviedo, Spain. carlalobon.uo@uniovi.es
Fernández
Consolación
C
Arrontes
Julio
J
Rico
José M
JM
Acuña
José L
JL
Anadón
Ricardo
R
Monteoliva
José Augusto
JA
D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D004190:Disasters; D017753:Ecosystem; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000187:drug effects*; D005648:Fuel Oils / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D012767:Ships; D013030:Spain; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects
D005648:Fuel Oils; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical