Coastal Alabama phytoplankton resilience to petrocarbon loading

Abstract

Petrocarbon exposure studies were conducted on three isolated clones from coastal Alabama in the Gulf of Mexico including a diatom (Skeletonema spp.), a dinoflagellate (Prorocentrum spp.) and a chlorophyte (Tetraselmis spp.). Laboratory cultures were exposed to water accommodated fraction of crude oil (WAF), WAF that was chemically enhanced with dispersant (CEWAF), and negative control with just dispersant (Dispersant). Cellular concentrations and physiological response among treatments were measured for the duration of the exponential phase for each group relative to control treatments (no petrocarbon).

Purpose

The goal was to examine changes in cell abundance with time in monocultures (individual isolates) and mixed (all three isolates) cultures in response to petrocarbon loading.

DOI: doi:10.7266/n7-0tqq-0153

Suggested Citation

Liesl Cole, Jason Latham, Jeffrey Krause, Kimberlee Thamatrakoln. 2019. Coastal Alabama phytoplankton resilience to petrocarbon loading. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/n7-0tqq-0153

Funded by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI)

Funding cycle: RFP-IV

Research group: Alabama Center for Ecological Resilience (ACER)