Abstract
The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion in 2010 led to the leakage of approximately 4.9 million barrels of oil from the Macondo well. The well was located about a mile under the water surface and its discharge covered a vast area of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Studies have shown that the presence of the oil, or the dispersants used after the incident, may have toxic effects on marine life. The eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is an ideal species to analyze because it is a filter feeder; utilizing the gills for filtration and directing the food to the rest of the digestive tract. The digestive system filters out any harmful substances entering with the food and eliminates them as waste. Filtration occurs due to the ciliary motion of the digestive epithelial lining and any alteration results in its failure. It is hypothesized that the decrease in ciliary motion coupled with atrophy of the digestive diverticula will have an adverse effect on specimen. The specimens were collected from Grand Isle, Louisiana; Dauphin Island, Alabama; and Apalachicola Bay, Florida from 2010-2013. The control specimens were from Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. Analysis of the digestive tissues was done utilizing histological techniques. Further study will continue utilizing an increased sample size.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Deanne Roopnarine
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-4-2014 1:00 PM
End Date
4-4-2014 5:30 PM
Histological Analysis Investigating the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill's Impact on Gut Tissue of Crassostrea virginica
Alvin Sherman Library
The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion in 2010 led to the leakage of approximately 4.9 million barrels of oil from the Macondo well. The well was located about a mile under the water surface and its discharge covered a vast area of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Studies have shown that the presence of the oil, or the dispersants used after the incident, may have toxic effects on marine life. The eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is an ideal species to analyze because it is a filter feeder; utilizing the gills for filtration and directing the food to the rest of the digestive tract. The digestive system filters out any harmful substances entering with the food and eliminates them as waste. Filtration occurs due to the ciliary motion of the digestive epithelial lining and any alteration results in its failure. It is hypothesized that the decrease in ciliary motion coupled with atrophy of the digestive diverticula will have an adverse effect on specimen. The specimens were collected from Grand Isle, Louisiana; Dauphin Island, Alabama; and Apalachicola Bay, Florida from 2010-2013. The control specimens were from Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. Analysis of the digestive tissues was done utilizing histological techniques. Further study will continue utilizing an increased sample size.
