Deepwater Horizon crude oil impacts the developing hearts of large predatory pelagic fish

John P Incardona; Luke Gardner; Tiffany L Linbo; Tanya L Brown; Andrew J Esbaugh; Edward M Mager; John D Stieglitz; Barbara L French; Jana S Labenia; Cathy A Laetz; Mark Tagal; Catherine A Sloan; Abigail Elizur; Daniel D Benetti; Martin Grosell; Barbara A Block; Nathaniel L Scholz

doi:10.1073/pnas.1320950111

Back

Deepwater Horizon crude oil impacts the developing hearts of large predatory pelagic fish

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Deepwater Horizon crude oil impacts the developing hearts of large predatory pelagic fish

John P Incardona, Luke Gardner, Tiffany L Linbo, Tanya L Brown, Andrew J Esbaugh, Edward M Mager, John D Stieglitz, Barbara L French, Jana S Labenia, Cathy A Laetz, …

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol.111(15), pp.E1510-E1518

2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1320950111

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1320950111View

Published Version

Abstract

oil spill

damage assessment

heart development

embryology

The Deepwater Horizon disaster released more than 636 million L of crude oil into the northern Gulf of Mexico. The spill oiled upper surface water spawning habitats for many commercially and ecologically important pelagic fish species. Consequently, the developing spawn (embryos and larvae) of tunas, swordfish, and other large predators were potentially exposed to crude oil-derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Fish embryos are generally very sensitive to PAH-induced cardiotoxicity, and adverse changes in heart physiology and morphology can cause both acute and delayed mortality. Cardiac function is particularly important for fast-swimming pelagic predators with high aerobic demand. Offspring for these species develop rapidly at relatively high temperatures, and their vulnerability to crude oil toxicity is unknown. We assessed the impacts of field-collected Deepwater Horizon (MC252) oil samples on embryos of three pelagic fish: bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, and an amberjack. We show that environmentally realistic exposures (1-15 μg/L total PAH) cause specific dosedependent defects in cardiac function in all three species, with circulatory disruption culminating in pericardial edema and other secondary malformations. Each species displayed an irregular atrial arrhythmia following oil exposure, indicating a highly conserved response to oil toxicity. A considerable portion of Gulf water samples collected during the spill had PAH concentrations exceeding toxicity thresholds observed here, indicating the potential for losses of pelagic fish larvae. Vulnerability assessments in other ocean habitats, including the Arctic, should focus on the developing heart of resident fish species as an exceptionally sensitive and consistent indicator of crude oil impacts.

Details

Title: Deepwater Horizon crude oil impacts the developing hearts of large predatory pelagic fish
Authors: John P Incardona (Author) - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States
Luke Gardner (Author) - Stanford University, United States
Tiffany L Linbo (Author) - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States
Tanya L Brown (Author) - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States
Andrew J Esbaugh (Author) - University of Miami, United States
Edward M Mager (Author) - University of Miami, United States
John D Stieglitz (Author) - University of Miami, United States
Barbara L French (Author) - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States
Jana S Labenia (Author) - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States
Cathy A Laetz (Author) - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States
Mark Tagal (Author) - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States
Catherine A Sloan (Author) - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States
Abigail Elizur (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
Daniel D Benetti (Author) - University of Miami, United States
Martin Grosell (Author) - University of Miami, United States
Barbara A Block (Author) - Stanford University, United States
Nathaniel L Scholz (Author) - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States
Publication details: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol.111(15), pp.E1510-E1518
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
Date published: 2014
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1320950111
ISSN: 0027-8424
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Centre for Bioinnovation
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99448832402621
Output Type: Journal article

Metrics

10 File views/ downloads

1824 Record Views

330 Times Cited - Web of Science

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Toxicology

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

Source: InCites