32 March 2012 Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory aquaculture program Scott Rikard1 and William C. Walton The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig on April 20, 2010 and the subsequent oil spill (DHOS) presented immense challenges for residents and businesses along the Gulf of Mexico coast. The Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory (AUSL) located on Dauphin Island, Alabama was no exception (Fig. 1). AUSL has faced its share of challenges in the past, especially in the form of hurricanes. But unlike hurricanes where the damage is immediately apparent and recovery begins quickly, the DHOS was a disaster moving in slow motion with potential impacts that may not be known for years. Questions of when would oil impact the Alabama coast, what would be the effects on water quality and when would the spill be stopped, presented difficult decisions about running the production and research operations of AUSL. The Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory The AUSL was established in 2003 with local oyster industry input to conduct practical research in the tradition of the Land Grant University to foster production of high-quality shellfish products by improving technology for shellfish culture and developing techniques for enhancing or restoring natural production. To meet the AUSL mission, research is conducted on shellfish aquaculture, ecology, restoration, disease, and human pathogens associated with shellfish. A portion of the AUSL facility is dedicated to hatchery production of shellfish, primarily the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. These oysters are used for AUSL research, research at other institutions, and support of commercial interests. Typically broodstock oysters are spawned at the AUSL hatchery from late April through early September and the resulting larvae are reared in static tank systems. Larvae reared to the setting stage are set on a variety of cultch materials. Larvae for restoration or fisheries enhancement projects typically are allowed to set on whole oyster shell packaged in large mesh bags, resulting in production of oyster clumps that will be eventually planted on water Fig. 1. The Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory located on the Gulf of Mexico coast on Dauphin Island, Alabama. bottoms. Larvae destined for aquaculture or experimental purposes are set on finely ground oyster shell, a technique that produces single oysters. Larvae attached to cultch are maintained in flow-though seawater systems in the AUSL hatchery for a variable duration. Oil Spill Effects on Hatchery and Field Operations The DHOS coincided with the start of the 2010 AUSL hatchery production season. Immediately there was concern that oil from the DHOS could contaminate the seawater supply to the hatchery because the seawater supply pipeline extends 300 m from Dauphin Island into the Gulf of Mexico. Potential impacts of the oil spill on AUSL hatchery operations included immediate water quality effects detrimental to oyster larvae and post-set juveniles and long-term contamination of hatchery water delivery and rearing systems. It was clear that the oil spill would severely impact and possibly delay hatchery production and implementation of the AUSL research program. Another potential area of impact from the DHOS was AUSL’s field operations. Broodstock oysters are maintained on the north side of Dauphin Island, where oysters are held in cages suspended above bottom on an adjustable long-line
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