TROPICS Longitudinal Study in Support of Shoreline Spill Response Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) Joint Industry Project (JIP) Scope of Objectives
The TROPICS Longitudinal Study in Support of Shoreline Spill Response Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) Joint Industry Project (JIP) is a collaboration with Clean Caribbean & Americas (CCA), and NOVA Southeastern University and others representing federal agencies, academic institutions and industry partners. This is a follow on to the 1984 TROPICS study where a series of intentional releases of Prudhoe Bay Crude oil and the same oil inoculated with dispersant were conducted in the nearshore and tropical mangrove wetlands of the Bahia Almirante and Laguna de Chiriqui, near Bocas del Toro, Eastern Panama. The releases were made to study the tradeoffs of chemical dispersants on tropical marine and subtidal systems. The site has been reassessed over the years and this project collected data on the 40-year anniversary of the release with permitting coordinated through the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Biological data regarding mangrove health, invertebrate communities within the mangroves, seagrass health, coral reef and associated flora and fauna health as well as hydrocarbons within the sediment will be assessed.
The goal of the project is to expand the understanding of crude oil and dispersed oil's short- and long-term impacts on shorelines and near-shore environments to better inform the Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) process, aiding oil spill responders with empirical data and information to use in their decision making and planning process. This long-term monitoring also presents an opportunity to inform responders and researchers of the evolution of oil spills, with and without use of dispersant, over time leading to a better understanding of delayed or long-term consequences enabling more accurate risk assessments.
This 14-month, $150,000 project will support BSEE OSPD’s preparedness role overseeing response planning for facilities in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) that could potentially release oil into the water and impact shorelines and wetlands of the United States. This is critically important as seagrass and mangrove habitats have expanded their ranges in the U.S. Gulf of America in locales vulnerable to spills from BSEE jurisdictional waters in the OCS.
This project is complete.
The TROPICS Longitudinal Study in Support of Shoreline Spill Response Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) Joint Industry Project (JIP) is a collaboration with Clean Caribbean & Americas (CCA), and NOVA Southeastern University and others representing federal agencies, academic institutions and industry partners. This is a follow on to the 1984 TROPICS study where a series of intentional releases of Prudhoe Bay Crude oil and the same oil inoculated with dispersant were conducted in the nearshore and tropical mangrove wetlands of the Bahia Almirante and Laguna de Chiriqui, near Bocas del Toro, Eastern Panama. The releases were made to study the tradeoffs of chemical dispersants on tropical marine and subtidal systems, and the site has been reassessed over the years. The untreated oil site showed increased loss and longer recovery for the mangroves present, but less direct impact to the coral reef and seagrasses. The dispersed oil site showed less impact to mangroves, but greater impact to coral and seagrasses. This project collected data on the 40-year anniversary of the release with permitting coordinated through the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Biological data regarding mangrove health, invertebrate communities within mangroves, seagrass health, coral reef and associated flora and fauna health as well as hydrocarbons within the sediment will be assessed.
Data collected during the current project, combined with data from previous site visits, were used to develop a recovery timeline for the different environmental components at the sites. No hydrocarbons directly attributed to the original oil release were detected in sediment cores at either site. At the untreated oil site, adult mangrove tree abundance has decreased 55.7% since exposure, with seedling abundance returning to preexposure levels after 25 years and tree canopy density returning to preexposure levels after 40 years. Coral cover and growth rates returned to preexposure levels at the untreated oil site between 2 and 10 years. At the dispersed oil site, adult mangrove tree abundance has decreased 25% since exposure with seedling abundance returning to preexposure levels after 20 years and tree canopy density returning to preexposure levels after 40 years. Coral cover and growth rates returned to preexposure levels at the untreated oil site between 2 and 10 years. At both sites, seagrass, mangrove oyster, tree snail, and sea urchin abundance returned to preexposure levels within a year at both field sites. It should also be noted that over the 40 years of site review, other regional forces have been a factor, as evidence by changes observed at the unoiled reference site.
While the data collected is site specific, the overarching trends in site disruptions and recovery can be used as a guideline for oil and dispersant use in other locations. The generalized recovery timeline serves as a guide for the expected long-term impacts of oil and dispersant exposure in mangrove/coral ecosystems. Based on this research, continued field visits are recommended to continue to monitor site specific changes and work to identify specific influences from oil and dispersants. Tree specific monitoring as well as trunk core data could identify specific influences from oil and dispersants on mangrove growth and survival. Additionally, coral studies within and beyond the site boundaries will identify changes to the coral over time, and potentially identify regional influences to the coral health.
The goal of the project was to expand the understanding of crude oil and dispersed oil's short- and long-term impacts on shorelines and near-shore environments to better inform the Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) process, aiding oil spill responders with empirical data and information to use in their decision making and planning process. This long-term monitoring also presents an opportunity to inform responders and researchers of the evolution of oil spills, with and without use of dispersant, leading to a better understanding of delayed or long-term consequences enabling more accurate risk assessments. This 14-month, $150,000 project supported BSEE OSPD’s preparedness role overseeing response planning for facilities in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) that could potentially release oil into the water and impact shorelines and wetlands of the United States. This is critically important as seagrass and mangrove habitats have expanded their ranges in the U.S. Gulf of America in locales vulnerable to spills from BSEE jurisdictional waters in the OCS.