Abstract:

Benthic microalgal biomass (using the concentration of chlorophyll a as a proxy) and photosynthetic pigment composition of samples collected from Barataria Bay, Louisiana from 2011-2014 in a study of the effects of and recovery from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill are presented here. Samples were collected the salt marsh platform in the intertidal region in areas expected to be dominated by Spartina alterniflora. Data are presented as ug pigment per sample for chlorophyll a, fucoxanthin, pheophytin and zeaxanthin.

Suggested Citation:

Fleeger, John. 2015. Photosynthetic pigment composition data (benthic microalgae) from Barataria Bay, 2011-2014. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N7DN430F

Publications:

Fleeger, J., Carman, K., Riggio, M., Mendelssohn, I., Lin, Q., Hou, A., … Zengel, S. (2015). Recovery of salt marsh benthic microalgae and meiofauna following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill linked to recovery of Spartina alterniflora. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., 536, 39–54. doi:10.3354/meps11451

Fleeger, J. W., Riggio, M. R., Mendelssohn, I. A., Lin, Q., Hou, A., & Deis, D. R. (2017). Recovery of saltmarsh meiofauna six years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2017.03.001

Johnson, D. S., Fleeger, J. W., Riggio, M. R., Mendelssohn, I. A., Lin, Q., Graham, S. A., … Hou, A. (2018). Saltmarsh plants, but not fertilizer, facilitate invertebrate recolonization after an oil spill. Ecosphere, 9(1), e02082. doi:10.1002/ecs2.2082

Fleeger, J. W., Riggio, M. R., Mendelssohn, I. A., Lin, Q., Deis, D. R., Johnson, D. S., … Hou, A. (2018). What Promotes the Recovery of Salt Marsh Infauna After Oil Spills? Estuaries and Coasts. doi:10.1007/s12237-018-0443-2

Purpose:

To determine the effects and recovery from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on benthic microalgae in marshes that were oiled. Oiling categories include reference (with no visible oil and healthy vegetation), lightly, moderately and heavily oiled. These data are the basis of a publication, Fleeger J. W., K. R. Carman, M. R. Riggio, I. A. Mendelssohn, Q. Lin, A. Hou, D. R. Deis, and S. Zengel. 2015. Recovery of saltmarsh benthic microalgae and meiofauna following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill linked to recovery of Spartina alterniflora. Marine Ecology-Progress Series, 536:39-54.

Data Parameters and Units:

Data for each pigment are presented as ug pigment per sample or per g dry wt. Volumes are those used after extraction. Treatment codes are RF for reference samples, MD for moderately oiled and HV for heavily oiled.

Methods:

Photosynthetic pigments were extracted from entire sediment samples with 4 ml of 100% acetone. The sediment-acetone mixture was sonicated for 30 s. The mixture was refrigerated overnight before centrifugation for 10 min. Samples were filtered (0.2 µm) before analysis.

Instruments:

High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to examine photosynthetic pigment concentration and composition. A Hewlett Packard 1100 liquid chromatograph consisting of a 100-ml loop autosampler, a quaternary solvent delivery system coupled to a diode array spectrophotometer, and a Hewlett Packard 1046A fluorescent detector, were used. Hewlett Packard HPChem-Station software was used for data analysis.

Error Analysis:

No error analysis is presented here but samples for each treatment - date combination are replicated. Replication was variable because some samples were not run in the HPLC because they were deemed to have an oil concentration that would harm the column.

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