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The effect of the Jessica grounding on subtidal invertebrate and plant communities at the Galápagos wreck site

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-16, 14:17 authored by Marshall, PA, Graham EdgarGraham Edgar
Impacts of the grounding of the oil tanker Jessica off San Cristóbal island, Galápagos, included both effects of oil on biota and also mechanical effects associated with a shallow furrow 50 m x 30 m gouged across the rocky seafloor and wreckage strewn over 7500 m2. The wreckage represented a minor but potentially chronic source of pollution to the surrounding environment through delayed releases of oil, antifouling compounds and other toxic chemicals, and a possible source of exotic marine taxa. Investigation at the wreck site indicated that impacts on subtidal plant and macro-invertebrate communities were largely confined within 100 m of the wreck site itself. Observed population effects included significant increases in cover of opportunistic algae (filamentous green algae, filamentous red algae and Ulva sp.) and the hydroid Ectopleura media adjacent to the wreck, while densities of the green sea urchin Lytechinus semituberculatus significantly decreased from 0.3 m-2 adjacent to the wreck to 11 m-2 at 100 m distance. Crown Copyright © 2003 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

History

Publication title

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Volume

47

Issue

7-8

Pagination

284-295

ISSN

0025-326X

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd

Place of publication

Oxford, England

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Environmentally sustainable transport activities not elsewhere classified

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