Transcript Variations of Benthic Fauna Underneath an Effluent Mixing Zone at

Long-Term Studies
in Port Valdez, Alaska
A. L. Blanchard, Howard. M. Feder,
Carrie Parris and Hilary Nichols
Institute of Marine Science,
School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences,
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Alaska Marine Science Symposium,
January 19-23, 2009
Acknowledgments

The environmental studies in Port Valdez were
funded by the Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.

We thank the many technicians and students who
have assisted on the project, Max Hoberg for his
contributions to field efforts, David Connor of
Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. for his support, and
the captains and crews of the M/V Valdez Star for
their gracious assistance in sampling.
Geological
Physical
Intertidal
Biological
Chemical
Oceanographic
Studies
Fisheries
Marine
Biology
Subtidal
Benthos
Sediment
Bacterial
IMS
Port Valdez
Investigations
Environmental
Monitoring
Marine
Mammals
Subtidal
Benthos
Sediment
Hydrocarbons
Wastes
Growth
Oil Spills
Large
Returns
Transport
Oil
Terminal
Sea Otter
Recovery
Glacial
Sediments
Fish
Hatchery
Stressors
1964
Earthquake
Runoff
Chemical
Spills
Wastes
Watershed
Urbanization
Industrialization
Habitat
Loss
Tourism
Commercial
Fishing
Recreational
Fishing
Processing
Wastes
Vessel
Traffic
Commercial
Recreational
Port Valdez
Deep-Basin Stations
Full fjord sampling locations 1971, 1976, 2002
Transect Locations 1971-2008
Trends in the Deep Basin:
Spatio-Temporal
of the # Taxa
Head of Fjord: strong Model
glacial influences
The
number of
taxa
present in
the fjord
increased
through
1990.
 Higher
number of
taxa found
towards
the mouth.

Mouth
of Fjord
Blanchard, Feder, and Hoberg, in prep.
Trends in the Deep Basin:
Galathowenia oculata
564 ind. m-2 1982
1971
3 ind. m-2
Limited sampling - G.
oculata at almost all
stations sampled.
Extensive sampling - G.
oculata at only one location.
1976
6,430 ind. m-2
60 ind. m-2
Extensive sampling - G.
oculata at eight locations.
2002
540 ind. m-2
Extensive sampling .
Trends in the Deep Basin:
Correlative Studies
Hypothesis
from study:
Infaunal Biomass vs. Adult Salmon Returns
36
32
) -2
28
24
20
16
Biomass (G m
12
8
4
r = 0.40
0
2
4
6
8 10 12 14
Returns (Millions)
16
18
20
Hatchery salmon
releases and
returns have
substantially
altered the Port
Valdez ecosystem
enhancing benthic
fauna to the deep
basin.
Port Valdez Environmental
Monitoring Sites
Treated Ballast-Water Discharges
PAH (ng g-1)

Spatio-temporal
modeling
indicates
decreasing PAH
concentrations
over time.
Percent Sensitive Species
(Galathowenia oculata and Melinna cristata)  Strongest
association is
between PAH and
the percent
abundance of two
tube-dwelling
polychaetes.
Blanchard et al., 2002, 2003; Blanchard, 2008; Blanchard and Feder, in prep.
Port Valdez Sediment Disposal
Study 1994-1996
Multiple Stressor Interactions:
Sediment Disposal Study


Dredging and
Construction
Blanchard
and Feder, 2003.
Recovery in
Progress
Dredging and
dock
construction
had large
effects.
Recovery was
delayed by
interactions of
dredging, vessel
traffic, and
discharges of
fish wastes
Vessel traffic, spread of fish
wastes delayed recovery
What We’ve Learned
 Faunal
responses to and recovery from
stress mediated by fjord characteristics:
– Environmental gradients and stresses strong.
– Seasonal stratification, deep basin, and strong
sediment gradient important factors for infauna.
 Interactions
between multiple stressors are
limited due to spatial scales of stressors.
– Present only at shallow subtidal site.
 Earthquake
had long-lasting effects.
– Appears re-adjusted 1989/1990, 26 years later.
What We’ve Learned
 Hatchery
salmon releases and returns have
increased over time.
– Magnitude of effects not known.
 Effects
from disposal of treated ballast
water at the oil terminal are:
– Negligible in the deep benthos.
– Stronger in shallow sites.
– Overall, effects on benthic infauna limited, small.
References
Blanchard, A. L., H. M. Feder and D. G. Shaw. 2002. Long-term investigation of benthic fauna
and the influence of treated ballast water disposal in Port Valdez, Alaska. Marine Pollution
Bulletin, 44: 367-382.
Blanchard, A. and H. M. Feder. 2003. Adjustment of benthic fauna following sediment disposal
at a site with multiple stressors in Port Valdez, Alaska. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 46:1590-1599.
Blanchard, A. L., H. M. Feder and D. G. Shaw. 2003. Variations of benthic fauna underneath an
effluent mixing zone at a marine oil terminal in Port Valdez, Alaska. Marine Pollution Bulletin,
46:1583-1589.
Blanchard, A. L. 2008. Challenges in Environmental Monitoring of Marine Invertebrate
Communities at a Marine Oil Terminal in Alaska. In JSM Proceedings, Section on the
Environment. Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association.
Blanchard, A. L., H. M. Feder and M. K. Hoberg. In preparation. Temporal Variability of Benthic
Communities Affected by a Large Earthquake and Anthropogenic Stressors, 1971-2005.
Blanchard, A. and H. M. Feder. In preparation. Associations of Benthic Macrofauna Variations
with Long-term Discharges of Residual Hydrocarbons into the Marine Environment at a Major
Marine Oil Terminal.