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Title: Recovery of sediments in the lower intertidal and subtidal environment. Restoration project 93047-1. Exxon Valdez oil spill restoration project final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:426716

Sediments were collected at ten locations in Prince William Sound in July 1993 to determine the geographical and bathymetric distribution of oil from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in the low intertidal zone and subtidal region. The authors sampled sediments at mean lower low water (0 m) and at five subtidal depths from 3 to 100 m. No Exxon Valdez oil was found in sediments at 0 m where the greatest mean intertidal concentration of total polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons excluding perylene (54 ng/g) was observed at Moose Lips Bay. Subtidal sediments showed polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon composition patterns similar to Exxon Valdez oil at three sites, Herring Bay, Northwest Bay and Sleepy Bay. Contamination of sediments by Exxon Valdez oil reached a depth of 20 m at Northwest Bay and Sleepy Bay. In deep sediments (> or = 40 m) the authors found no evidence of weathered Exxon Valdez oil.

Research Organization:
National Marine Fisheries Service, Auke Bay, AK (United States). Auke Bay Lab.
OSTI ID:
426716
Report Number(s):
PB-96-194832/XAB; TRN: 62392964
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: May 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English