A NOAA research team is visiting RTC this January to assess the potential impacts of the Cosco Busan oil spill on herring embryos and larvae. The group is from the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle (NOAA Fisheries) and contains staff from the Center's Ecotoxicology and Environmental Assessment Programs. The NOAA scientists will be rotating down to RTC in shifts throughout most of January, with the researchers staying at the Ohrenschall Guest Center.

The goal of the assessment is to determine whether polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from residual Cosco Busan oil cause developmental defects in herring embryos that are naturally spawned as well as embryos that are spawned artificially, placed in cages, and outplanted in locations with different degrees of visible shoreline oiling after the spill. The work is being conducted as part of a Natural Resource Damage Assessment.

The group is collaborating with herring specialists in Dr. Gary Cherr's laboratory at the Bodega Marine Laboratory (BML). The BML's Aquatic Resources Group will assist with the field collection of adult herring as well as embryos. In addition, BML and NOAA embryologists are setting up equipment in RTC's Keck Laboratory to image embryo morphology and cardiovascular function. Additional samples will be shipped to Seattle for analytical chemistry, immunohistochemistry, and molecular indicators of PAH exposure and toxicity (as needed).

These activities will be completed by the end of the month. Beyond oil spills, the NOAA group has a broad interest in the impacts of pollution on coastal environments, and is looking forward to interacting with the faculty, staff, and students at RTC. If you have any questions about the herring assessment, please contact Dr. Nat Scholz (Nathaniel.Scholz@noaa.gov).