Abstract
The Macondo oil spill occurred in Louisiana bay in 2010. It was caused by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Approximately 4.9 million barrels of oil were spilled into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Although immediate environmental effects were easily observed, studies are now underway investigating the long- term effects of the disaster. This study focuses on the effects on shellfish, in particular the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. It is hypothesized that oysters might have undergone metaplasia in their gills. Metaplasia is the replacement of one cell type with another. Since oysters are filter feeders, their gills are composed of ciliated simple columnar epithelium for this purpose. Oysters collected from Barataria Bay, Louisiana after the oil spill were studied with Chesapeake oysters as a control. The primary method of investigation was histological technique. To date, post-spill specimens from Louisiana have shown a combination of normal simple columnar epithelium along with stratified squamous epithelium. Further investigation is necessary to determine if these results are widespread.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Deanne Roopnarine
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-12-2013 1:00 PM
End Date
4-12-2013 5:30 PM
Histological Techniques Investigating the Occurrence of Metaplasia in Crassostrea virginica
Alvin Sherman Library
The Macondo oil spill occurred in Louisiana bay in 2010. It was caused by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Approximately 4.9 million barrels of oil were spilled into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Although immediate environmental effects were easily observed, studies are now underway investigating the long- term effects of the disaster. This study focuses on the effects on shellfish, in particular the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. It is hypothesized that oysters might have undergone metaplasia in their gills. Metaplasia is the replacement of one cell type with another. Since oysters are filter feeders, their gills are composed of ciliated simple columnar epithelium for this purpose. Oysters collected from Barataria Bay, Louisiana after the oil spill were studied with Chesapeake oysters as a control. The primary method of investigation was histological technique. To date, post-spill specimens from Louisiana have shown a combination of normal simple columnar epithelium along with stratified squamous epithelium. Further investigation is necessary to determine if these results are widespread.
