The Impact of Highly Weathered Oil from the Most Extensive Oil Spill in Tropical Oceans (Brazil) on the Microbiome of the Coral

Overview

Journal Microorganisms

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2023 Aug 26

PMID 37630495

Authors

Pedro Henrique F Pereira

Luanny Fernandes

Hugo E Jesus

Patricia G Costa

Carlos H F Lacerda

Miguel Mies

Adalto Bianchini

Henrique F Santos

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In 2019, the largest oil spill ever recorded in tropical oceans in terms of extent occurred in Brazil. The oil from the spill was collected directly from the environment and used in an exposure experiment with the endangered reef-building coral . The treatments of the experiment were control (without oil), 1% oil, 2.5% oil, and direct contact of coral with oil. The most abundant hydrocarbon in the seawater of the experiment was phenatrene, which is toxic to corals. However, overall, the concentration of PAHs was not very high. The analysis of the maximum photosynthetic capacity of Symbiodiniaceae dinoflagellates showed a small impact of oil on corals, mainly on the contact treatment. However, coral microbiomes were affected in all oil treatments, with the contact treatment showing the most pronounced impact. A greater number and abundance of stress-indicating and potentially pathogenic bacteria were found in all oil treatments. Finally, this highly weathered oil that had lain in the ocean for a long time was carrying potentially coral-pathogenic bacteria within the Vibrionaceae family and was able to transmit some of these bacteria to corals. Bacteria within Vibrionaceae are the main causes of disease in different species of corals and other marine organisms.

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