Net- and Nanoplankton: Effects of an Oil Spill in the North Sea

✍ Scribed by Lännergren, C.

• Book ID: 115527949
• Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG
• Year: 1978
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 857 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0006-8055
• DOI: 10.1515/botm.1978.21.6.353

✦ Synopsis

Following an oil sp l in the North Sea carbon assimilation and biomass of phytoplankton were studied in three size fractions, > 30 pm, 5-30 μηι, and < 5 μχη. No harmful effects were detected; on the contrary the largest biomass and production occurred in the most contaminated water, containing about 260 ppb of petroleum hydrocarbons. The higher values were associated with the fraction > 30 μπι, presumably diatoms. It is uncertain if this was a direct effect, or the result of reduced grazing by herbivores in the presence of oil.