Temporal patterns of Deepwater Horizon impacts on the benthic infauna of the northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred in spring and summer 2010 in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Research cruises in 2010 (approximately 2-3 months after the well had been capped), 2011, and 2014 were conducted to determine the initial and subsequent effects of the oil spill on deep-sea soft-bottom infauna. A total of 34 stations were sampled from two zones: 20 stations in the "impact" zone versus 14 stations in the "non-impact" zone. Chemical contaminants were significantly different between the two zones. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons averaged 218 ppb in the impact zone compared to 14 ppb in the non-impact zone. Total petroleum hydrocarbons averaged 1166 ppm in the impact zone compared to 102 ppm in the non-impact zone. While there was no difference between zones for meiofauna and macrofauna abundance, community diversity was significantly lower in the impact zone. Meiofauna taxa richness over the three sampling periods averaged 8 taxa/sample in the impact zone, compared to 10 taxa/sample in the non-impact zone; and macrofauna richness averaged 25 taxa/sample in the impact zone compared to 30 taxa/sample in the non-impact zone. Oil originating from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill reached the seafloor and had a persistent negative impact on diversity of soft-bottom, deep-sea benthic communities. While there are signs of recovery for some benthic community variables, full recovery has not yet occurred four years after the spill.

Sediment quality benchmarks for assessing oil-related impacts to the deep-sea benthos.

Paired sediment contaminant and benthic infaunal data from prior studies following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico were analyzed using logistic regression models (LRMs) to derive sediment quality benchmarks for assessing risks of oil-related impacts to the deep-sea benthos. Sediment total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations were used as measures of oil exposure. Taxonomic richness (average number of taxa/sample) was selected as the primary benthic response variable. Data are from 37 stations (1300-1700 m water depth) in fine-grained sediments (92%-99% silt-clay) sampled within 200 km of the DWH wellhead (most within 40 km) in 2010 and 32 stations sampled in 2011 (29 of which were common to both years). Results suggest the likelihood of impacts to benthic macrofauna and meiofauna communities is low (<20%) at TPH concentrations of less than 606 mg kg-1 (ppm dry weight) and 700 mg kg-1 respectively, high (>80%) at concentrations greater than 2144 mg kg-1 and 2359 mg kg-1 respectively, and intermediate at concentrations in between. For total PAHs, the probability of impacts is low (<20%) at concentrations of less than 4.0 mg kg-1 (ppm) for both macrofauna and meiofauna, high (>80%) at concentrations greater than 24 mg kg-1 and 25 mg kg-1 for macrofauna and meiofauna, respectively, and intermediate at concentrations in between. Although numerical sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) are available for total PAHs and other chemical contaminants based on bioeffect data for shallower estuarine, marine, and freshwater biota, to our knowledge, none have been developed for measures of total oil (e.g., TPH) or specifically for deep-sea benthic applications. The benchmarks presented herein provide valuable screening tools for evaluating the biological significance of observed oil concentrations in similar deep-sea sediments following future spills and as potential restoration targets to aid in managing recovery. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:840-851. Published 2017. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Assessing the footprint and volume of oil deposited in deep-sea sediments following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The lateral and vertical extents of Macondo oil in deep-sea sediments resulting from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill were determined using chemical forensics and geostatistical kriging of data from 2397 sediment samples from 875 cores collected in 2010/2011 and 2014. The total mass of Macondo-derived hopane on the seafloor in 2010/2011 was conservatively estimated between 2.00 and 2.26metric tons, derived from 219,000 to 247,000barrels of oil; or 6.9 to 7.7% of the 3.19millionbarrels spilled. Macondo-derived hopane was deposited over 1030 to 1910km2 of the seafloor, mostly (>97%) in surface (0-1cm) and near-surface (1-3cm) sediments, which is consistent with short-term oil deposition. Although Macondo oil was still present in surface sediments in 2014, the total mass of Macondo-derived hopane was significantly lower (~80 to 90%) than in 2010/2011, affirming an acute impact from the spill and not long-term deposition from natural seeps.

Macondo oil in deep-sea sediments: Part 2 - Distribution and distinction from background and natural oil seeps.

Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the spilled Macondo oil was severely weathered during its transport within the deep-sea plume as discrete particles, which were subsequently deposited on the seafloor. The Macondo oil deposited in deep-sea sediments was distinguished from ambient (background) hydrocarbons and naturally-seeped and genetically-similar oils in the Mississippi Canyon region using a forensic method based upon a systematic, multi-year study of 724 deep-sea sediment cores collected in late 2010 and 2011. The method relied upon: (1) chemical fingerprinting of the distinct features of the wax-rich, severely-weathered Macondo oil; (2) hydrocarbon concentrations, considering a core's proximity to the Macondo well or to known or apparent natural oil seeps, and also vertically within a core; and (3) results from proximal cores and flocculent material from core supernatants and slurp gun filters. The results presented herein establish the geographic extent of "fingerprintable" Macondo oil recognized on the seafloor in 2010/2011.