Shoreline ecology program for Prince William Sound, Alaska, following the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Part 3: Biology
- Bowdoin Coll., Brunswick, ME (United States)
- West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States)
- Arthur D. Little, Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States)
This study describes the biological results of a comprehensive shoreline ecology program designed to assess ecological recovery in Prince William Sound following the Exxon Valdez oil spill on march 24, 1989. The program is an application of the ``Sediment Quality Triad`` approach, combining chemical, toxicological, and biological measurements. The study was designed so that results could be extrapolated to the entire spill zone in Prince William Sound. The spill affected four major shoreline habitat types in Prince William Sound: pebble/gravel, boulder/cobble, sheltered bedrock, and exposed bedrock. The study design had two components: (1) one-time stratified random sampling at 64 sites representing four habitats and four oiling levels (including unoiled reference sites) and (2) periodic sampling at 12 nonrandomly chosen sites that included some of the most heavily oiled locations in the sound. Biological communities on rock surfaces and in intertidal and shallow subtidal sediments were analyzed for differences resulting from to oiling in each of 16 habitat/tide zone combinations. Statistical methods included univariate analyses of individual species abundances and community parameter variables (total abundance, species richness, and Shannon diversity), and multivariate correspondence analysis of community structure. 58 refs., 13 figs., 9 tabs.
- OSTI ID:
- 382764
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-930442-; ISBN 0-8031-1896-1; TRN: 96:025723
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 3. symposium on environmental toxicology and risk assessment, Atlanta, GA (United States), 25-28 Apr 1993; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Exxon Valdez oil spill: Fate and effects in Alaskan waters; Wells, P.G.; Butler, J.N.; Hughes, J.S. [eds.]; PB: 961 p.; ASTM special technical publication, 1219
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Shoreline ecology program for Prince William Sound, Alaska, following the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Part 1: Study design and methods