Laboratory Studies To Assess the Effects of Oil Spill Chemical Dispersants on Corals

There is concern about the impact of the oil spill on sensitive species, such as coral. Data show that the soft coral, Xenia elongata, is impacted at the molecular, cellular, and behavioral level by short-term, low level exposures to dispersants and chemically-dispersed oil. This presentation will discuss data from short-term laboratory exposures (followed by long-term recovery assessments) of corals to light crude oil, dispersants and dispersed-oil using environmentally realistic, controlled and fully-chemically characterized test solutions.