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Dilute concentrations of maritime fuel can modify sediment reworking activity of high-latitude marine invertebrates

Dilute concentrations of maritime fuel can modify sediment reworking activity of high-latitude marine invertebrates
Dilute concentrations of maritime fuel can modify sediment reworking activity of high-latitude marine invertebrates
Multiple expressions of climate change, in particular warming-induced reductions in the type, extent and thickness of sea ice, are opening access and providing new viable development opportunities in high-latitude regions. Coastal margins are facing these challenges, but the vulnerability of species and ecosystems to the effects of fuel contamination associated with increased maritime traffic is largely unknown. Here, we show that low concentrations of the water-accommodated fraction of marine fuel oil, representative of a dilute fuel oil spill, can alter functionally important aspects of the behaviour of sediment-dwelling invertebrates. We find that the response to contamination is species specific, but that the range in response among individuals is modified by increasing fuel concentrations. Our study provides evidence that species responses to novel and/or unprecedented levels of anthropogenic activity associated with the opening up of high-latitude regions can have substantive ecological effects, even when human impacts are at, or below, commonly accepted safe thresholds. These secondary responses are often overlooked in broad-scale environmental assessments and marine planning yet, critically, they may act as an early warning signal for impending and more pronounced ecological transitions.
Arctic marine shipping, Arctic trade, Northern sea route, bioturbation, fuel contamination, multiple pressures, Northern Sea route
2045-7758
Williams, Thomas J.
efc97aa3-a180-46ac-b451-15ff48860a1f
Blockley, David
cd211254-0814-4a42-a373-f7aa1532407f
Cundy, Andy B.
994fdc96-2dce-40f4-b74b-dc638286eb08
Godbold, Jasmin A.
df6da569-e7ea-43ca-8a95-a563829fb88a
Howman, Rebecca M.
0c132d44-9552-4dbe-8d05-177a73aee240
Solan, Martin
c28b294a-1db6-4677-8eab-bd8d6221fecf
Williams, Thomas J.
efc97aa3-a180-46ac-b451-15ff48860a1f
Blockley, David
cd211254-0814-4a42-a373-f7aa1532407f
Cundy, Andy B.
994fdc96-2dce-40f4-b74b-dc638286eb08
Godbold, Jasmin A.
df6da569-e7ea-43ca-8a95-a563829fb88a
Howman, Rebecca M.
0c132d44-9552-4dbe-8d05-177a73aee240
Solan, Martin
c28b294a-1db6-4677-8eab-bd8d6221fecf

Williams, Thomas J., Blockley, David, Cundy, Andy B., Godbold, Jasmin A., Howman, Rebecca M. and Solan, Martin (2024) Dilute concentrations of maritime fuel can modify sediment reworking activity of high-latitude marine invertebrates. Ecology and Evolution, 14 (7), [e11702]. (doi:10.1002/ece3.11702).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Multiple expressions of climate change, in particular warming-induced reductions in the type, extent and thickness of sea ice, are opening access and providing new viable development opportunities in high-latitude regions. Coastal margins are facing these challenges, but the vulnerability of species and ecosystems to the effects of fuel contamination associated with increased maritime traffic is largely unknown. Here, we show that low concentrations of the water-accommodated fraction of marine fuel oil, representative of a dilute fuel oil spill, can alter functionally important aspects of the behaviour of sediment-dwelling invertebrates. We find that the response to contamination is species specific, but that the range in response among individuals is modified by increasing fuel concentrations. Our study provides evidence that species responses to novel and/or unprecedented levels of anthropogenic activity associated with the opening up of high-latitude regions can have substantive ecological effects, even when human impacts are at, or below, commonly accepted safe thresholds. These secondary responses are often overlooked in broad-scale environmental assessments and marine planning yet, critically, they may act as an early warning signal for impending and more pronounced ecological transitions.

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Accepted/In Press date: 21 June 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 3 July 2024
Published date: 3 July 2024
Additional Information: For the purpose of open access, the authors have applied a CC BY public copyright licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission. Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Keywords: Arctic marine shipping, Arctic trade, Northern sea route, bioturbation, fuel contamination, multiple pressures, Northern Sea route

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 491905
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/491905
ISSN: 2045-7758
PURE UUID: 250af002-35a4-4743-a465-a2987fe08521
ORCID for Thomas J. Williams: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6616-955X
ORCID for Andy B. Cundy: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4368-2569
ORCID for Jasmin A. Godbold: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-5558-8188
ORCID for Martin Solan: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9924-5574

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Date deposited: 05 Jul 2024 17:00
Last modified: 06 Nov 2024 03:09

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Contributors

Author: Thomas J. Williams ORCID iD
Author: David Blockley
Author: Andy B. Cundy ORCID iD
Author: Rebecca M. Howman
Author: Martin Solan ORCID iD

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