Abstract:

To fully assess the impacts of Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil on the vertebrate stress response and the trajectory for recovery, our research integrated molecular, cellular, gland/organ and whole animal physiological and behavioral studies using a benthic marine teleost, the Gulf toadfish, a resident of the Gulf of Mexico. This study evaluated multiple pathways (e.g., pituitary fatigue, reduced receptor sensitivity, disruption or overstimulation of cortisol biosynthesis) and the consequence of these changes at the whole animal level (e.g., changes in carbohydrate metabolism, immune capacity and responses to natural stresses such as predation and social interaction). In this series of experiments, fish weight and plasma parameters such as cortisol concentrations were evaluated during long-term exposures to DWH oil. Toadfish were exposed to 0.006 (control), 0.692 (low), 1.432 (medium) and 3.525 (high) ug/L sum 50 total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). Each exposure was followed by a complementary recovery period (i.e., no oil or PAH exposure, 7-28 days) to assess the recovery trajectory. These experiments were completed at Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), University of Miami, Marine Technology & Life Sciences Seawater Complex (MTLSS) Building, room 211 between January 2019 to December 2019.

Suggested Citation:

M. Danielle McDonald, Matthew M. Alloy, Maria C. Cartolano, Rumya Sundaram, Anastasiya Plotnikova, Natalia Ruiz-Huidobro, Anna Barnard, Liza Merly, John Sebastiani. 2019. Chronic exposure fish weights and plasma parameters. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/n7-95pf-n393

Purpose:

These data were collected to determine the impacts of chronic exposure to DWH oil on plasma cortisol and other parameters that may be disrupted by plasma cortisol.

Data Parameters and Units:

Replicate fish ID, Fish Mass fish (g), Liver Mass (g), HSI (Hepatic somatic index, %), Sex, Length (cm), Empty tube (g), Pit + Tube (g), Pituitary Mass (g), % pitmass/ body mass, Cortisol (ng/ml), WBC #1 (white blood cells, #/0.1 µL), WBC #2 (#/0.1 µL), WBC #3 (#/0.1 µL), WBC #4 (#/0.1 µL), Mean WBC (#/0.1 µL), SD, Mean WBCs (#/µL), RBC# 1 (red blood cells, #/0.02 µL), RBC# 2 (#/0.02 µL), RBC# 3 (#/0.02 µL), Mean RBC (#/0.02 µL), SD, Mean RBCs (#/µL), WBC/RBC, CEG (coarse eosinophilic granulocyte), FEG (fine eosinophilic granulocyte), N (neutrophil), M (monocyte), L (lymphocyte), T (thrombocyte), Granulocyte total, granulocyte: lymphocyte . The naming convention for replicate fish ID is where A = Treatment (X = Initial sample; C = control; L = low concentration exposure; M = medium concentration exposure; H = high concentration exposure); XXX = Fish number (153-256); B = Trial #; C = Fish state (Not stressed [NS] or Stressed [S]); D = Time sample taken in days (d) or months (m); Z = Period sample taken (either during Exposure [E] or during Recovery [R]). Please note that nd indicates no data available, and data in red color is aberation in pituitary weight data (e.g., pituitary + tube weight is less than tube weight alone; pituitary weight is exceedingly high).

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