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Modulations in Cell-Mediated Immunity of Mytilus Edulis Following the ‘Sea Empress’ Oil Spill

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

E.A. Dyrynda ,
R.J. Law ,
P.E.J. Dyrynda ,
C.A. Kelly ,
R.K. Pipe ,
K.L. Graham  and
N.A. Ratcliffe
E.A. Dyrynda
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP
R.J. Law
Affiliation:
MAFF Fisheries Laboratory, Remembrance Avenue, Burnham-on-Crouch, CMO 8HA
P.E.J. Dyrynda
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP
C.A. Kelly
Affiliation:
MAFF Fisheries Laboratory, Remembrance Avenue, Burnham-on-Crouch, CMO 8HA
R.K. Pipe
Affiliation:
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Citadel Hill, The Hoe, PL1 2PB
K.L. Graham
Affiliation:
MAFF Fisheries Laboratory, Remembrance Avenue, Burnham-on-Crouch, CMO 8HA
N.A. Ratcliffe
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP
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Extract

The ‘Sea Empress’ oil tanker grounded outside Milford Haven (Wales, UK) in February 1996, spilling ~70,000 tonnes of crude oil and contaminating over 100 km of coastline, causing mass mortalities and standings of at least 11 mollusc species. Intensive field monitoring commenced after the spill, examining immunity and hydrocarbon levels in the mussel, Mytilus edulis (Mollusca: Bivalvia), a commercially-harvested species which can accumulate contaminants. Comparisons of mussels from oiled and reference sites revealed significant modulations in cell-mediated immunity. Elevations in blood cell (haemocyte) numbers and decreases in superoxide generation and phagocytosis were identified in contaminated animals. The immune response of contaminated mussels gradually improved and generally showed no significant differences compared with clean mussels after 11 weeks. By then, total hydrocarbon content in contaminated mussels had declined by 70–90%, while polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content had decreased by over 90%.

Type
Short Communications
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 77 , Issue 1 , February 1997 , pp. 281 - 284
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1997

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