Abstract:

Data herein reports on the preferences of a widespread and cosmopolitan fish (Fundulus grandis) for oiled versus unoiled sediment. Three different populations of fish were compared in this study. Oiled sediments were randomized and included weathered (40% by weight) or fresh oil at a range of concentrations (low: 10 mL oil/L, medium: 20 mL oil/L, or high: 40 mL oil/L). Observations of fish location in the tank were made for a period of 10 minutes and the proportion of time spent in oil and no oil sections of the tank were recorded.

Suggested Citation:

Martin, C.W.. 2020. Laboratory experiments to determine population-level variability in Fundulus grandis behavioral response to oil. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/n7-6gpm-fs62

Purpose:

This work builds on a previous study documenting oil avoidance behavior by determining variability in this response in different populations. By giving organisms a choice between oil-contaminated and clean sediments, this work is integral in determining if fishes have the capacity to detect and avoid oil and how this may change spatially. Results are critical to understanding the resiliency of marsh organisms to anthropogenic disasters such as oil spills and are essential for the continued successful management of living, motile resources such as marsh nekton.

Data Parameters and Units:

Population: Origin of fish used in the experiments (TB=Terrebonne Bay, MS=Mississippi Sound, PB=Perdido Bay); Oil: Description of the type of oil used in the experiments (Fresh, Weathered); Concentration: Refers to the relative oil concentration used in the experiments (Low, Medium, High); Proportion of Time in Oil: Proportion calculated from observations of location preference made every 30 seconds for 10-minute trial duration divided by the total number of observations; Proportion of Time in No Oil: Proportion calculated from observations of location preference made every 30 seconds for 10-minute trial duration divided by the total number of observations.

Methods:

Fish were obtained via minnow traps from three regions (Terrebonne Bay, Mississippi Sound, Perdido Bay) and were held 2-3 weeks prior to experiments to allow recovery and standardization of any handling stress. A total of six 38-L tanks were set up for trials, one for each comparison (no oil vs. low fresh oil, no oil vs. medium fresh oil, no oil vs. high fresh oil, no oil vs. weathered low oil, no oil vs. weathered medium oil, no oil vs weathered high oil). Washed, coarse sand was mixed homogenously with the treatment oil concentration, placed on one randomized side of the tank, and filled with 6-8 psu water mixed using Instant Ocean™ salt and dechlorinated tap water. A single F. grandis from one of the 3 populations was added to the tank, allowed to acclimate for 5 minutes, and then an observation of which side of the tank the fish occupied was made every 30 seconds over a 10-minute period. Methods used during this study are based on methods found in Martin, C. (2017).

Provenance and Historical References:

Martin, C. (2017). Avoidance of oil contaminated sediments by estuarine fishes. Marine Ecology Progress Series, AdvanceView, 1–10. doi:10.3354/meps12084

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