Meeting Abstract

118.5  Saturday, Jan. 7  Effects of exposure to crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on populations of gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. DUBANSKY, Benjamin*; BODINIER, Charlotte; RICE, Charles D.; WHITEHEAD, Andrew; GALVEZ, Fernando; Louisiana State University; Louisiana State Uinversity; Clemson University; Louisiana State University; Louisiana State University bduban1@lsu.edu

The Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) makes up a large percentage of the biomass of the coastal marshland affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. We have conducted extensive sampling of killifish populations collected in situ before landfall of oil, and at different times over the last year post oiling. CYP1A protein, which is a key biomarker of exposure to hydrocarbons, is highly upregulated in expression in the gills, intestines, and kidney of fish sampled in situ from oiled sites. Additionally, epithelial damage and hyperplasia were found in the gills and intestines of oiled fish. We have also exposed gulf killifish embryos from an unoiled reference population to sediments collected at oiled and unoiled sites in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. Embyros exposed to oiled sediments showed developmental abnormalities characteristic of exposure to crude oil, and decreased hatching success and delayed development. Presently, experiments are underway to understand the extent of effects on larval killifish hatched in oiled sediment.