title: Assessing the potential impact of water-based drill cuttings on deep-water calcareous red algae using species specific impact categories and measured oceanographic and discharge data.
abstract: The potential impact of drill cuttings on the two deep water calcareous red algae Mesophyllum engelhartii and Lithothamnion sp. from the Peregrino oil field was assessed. Dispersion modelling of drill cuttings was performed for a two year period using measured oceanographic and discharge data with 24 h resolution. The model was also used to assess the impact on the two algae species using four species specific impact categories: No, minor, medium and severe impact. The corresponding intervals for photosynthetic efficiency (ΦPSIImax) and sediment coverage were obtained from exposure-response relationship for photosynthetic efficiency as function of sediment coverage for the two algae species. The temporal resolution enabled more accurate model predictions as short-term changes in discharges and environmental conditions could be detected. The assessment shows that there is a patchy risk for severe impact on the calcareous algae stretching across the transitional zone and into the calcareous algae bed at Peregrino.
authors.affiliation: Statoil ASA, Research, Development and Innovation, N-7005 Trondheim, Norway; Trondhjem Biological Station, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: innil@statoil.com.
authors.forename: Ingunn
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nilssen
authors.affiliation: PROOCEANO Serviço Oceanográfico, Av. Rio Branco, 311 - sala 1205 Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira, Department of Oceanography, Marine Biotechnology Division, Arraial do Cabo, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.affiliation: PROOCEANO Serviço Oceanográfico, Av. Rio Branco, 311 - sala 1205 Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: PROOCEANO Serviço Oceanográfico, Av. Rio Branco, 311 - sala 1205 Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Montenegro
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.affiliation: Statoil ASA, Research, Development and Innovation, N-7005 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Ingvar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Eide
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira, Department of Oceanography, Marine Biotechnology Division, Arraial do Cabo, RJ, Brazil; Instituto de Pesquisa Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Pacheco Leão 915, Jardim Botânico 22460-030, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Biodiversidade Marinha, Avenida Ayrton Senna 250, Sala 208, Barra da Tijuca, 22.793-000, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcia A O
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.affiliation: Trondhjem Biological Station, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Geir
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Johnsen
authors.affiliation: Statoil ASA, Research, Development and Innovation, N-7005 Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Ståle
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johnsen
mesh_terms: D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D001938:Brazil; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008954:Models, Biological; D061329:Oil and Gas Fields; D000066388:Oil and Gas Industry; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000187:drug effects*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Calcareous algae; Drill cuttings; Impact assessment; Impact categories; Modelling