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U.S. Department of Energy
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Effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on shallow subtidal communities in Prince William sound, Alaska, 1989-93. Restoration project 93047. Exxon Valdez oil spill restoration project final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:371070
Injuries to several of the dominant taxa in the nearshore subtidal community were observed in the heavily oiled portions of western Prince William Sound following the Exxon Valdez oil spill of March 1989. The initial effects were most pronounced in more protected eelgrass and silled fjord habitats, where PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) concentrations in sediments exceeded 1000 ng g-1 in 1990. By 1993, PAH concentrations in sediments declined to less than 100 ng g-1, and there were far fewer differences between oiled and control sites with respect to the abundance of dominant plant, invertebrate, and fish taxa. However, not all taxa had recovered fully.
Research Organization:
Alaska Univ., Fairbanks, AK (United States). School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
OSTI ID:
371070
Report Number(s):
PB--96-194865/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English