Oil spill concentration effects on zooplankton mortality, hydrocarbon content, and chlorophyll content

General EcologyEnbridge Line 5 is an oil pipeline that threatens the Great Lakes ecosystem. Zooplankton are at the heart of this ecosystem, as they are an important food source for many fish and are primary grazers that prevent harmful algal blooms. We simulated the effects of an oil spill on zooplankton from Douglas Lake and the Straits of Mackinac. We measured mortality of one order of zooplankton, as well as hydrocarbons and chlorophyll ingested by zooplankton in the tanks after four days. We hypothesized that an increase in oil concentration would be associated with an increase in hydrocarbons and chlorophyll, as well as an increase in zooplankton mortality. We found no significant difference in mortality of zooplankton or ingested chlorophyll, but hydrocarbon content significantly increased in zooplankton subjected to oil treatments, suggesting that zooplankton were ingesting the oil.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147887/1/Goyal_2018.pd