Abstract:

Commensal recruitment was studied on vexar mesh bags submersed monthly at four sites in Barataria Bay. Bay Jimmy and Grand Terre were contaminated, Grand Isle and Hackberry Bay were control sites. Bags were deployed seasonally in both 2012 and 2013, and the results indicated that while commensal abundance was generally greater at oiled sites, the effects of hydrocarbon contamination several years post spill were neither large nor consistent.

Suggested Citation:

Vozzo, Maria. 2016. Recruitment of commensals to cultch bags at control and oiled sites in Barataria Bay 2011-2013. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N7P848VD

Purpose:

Understand how oil contamination affects oyster reef commensal community assemblages after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Data Parameters and Units:

year, month, site, replicate, family or similar taxon, number of individuals collected per taxon per bag, species richness per bag, Shannon Weaver diversity, bag, organism, count, S, Abund, Pi, Ln(PI), PiLn(Pi), H',site, site abbreviation, latitude, longitude, (Hackberry Bay 29.27833 -90.01055, Bay Jimmy 29.439716 -89.886116, Grand Isle 29.23656 -90.002033, Grand Terre 29.27833 -89.94333), SCAT Oiling Level, Site Classification, Total PAHs (ng/g), Temperature (ºC), Dissolved Oxygen (DO) (mg/L)

Methods:

supplemental data also collected on salinity and pah concentrations in sediment at each site and year For both 10 x 10 cm settlement tiles and 0.3 x 0.3 m commensal bags, we tried to follow a schedule of deploying as closely to the beginning of the month and collecting at the end of the month. In 2012 sampling was conducted the first week of the month whenever possible. April 24, 2013 - Spring commensal bags deployed May 28, 2013 - Spring commensal bags retrieved July 2, 2013 - Summer commensal bag deployed July 31, 2013 - Summer commensal bags retrieved October 3, 2013 - Summer commensal bags deployed October 29, 2013 - Summer commensal bags retrieved May 8, 2013 - Tiles set/retrieved June 4, 2013 - Tiles set/retrieved July 2, 2013 - Tiles set/retrieved July 31, 2013, Tiles/set retrieved September 3, 2013 - Tiles set/retrieved October 3, 2013 - Tiles set/retrieved October 29, 2013 - Tiles set/retrieved August 7, 2012 - tiles set/retrieved; commensal bags retrieved September 12, 2012 - tiles set/retrieved October 5 & 6 2012 - tiles set/retrieved; commensal bags deployed; sediment samples collected. November 5, 2012 - tiles retrieved; commensal bags retrieved

Instruments:

mass spec for pahs, ysi for salinity

Individual Files: