COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF GULF OIL SPILL ON MOBILITY OF TOXIC METALS AND MICROBIAL ACTIVITIES IN ALABAMA COASTAL WETLANDS

2010年4月20日，墨西哥湾深水地平线石油钻井平台发生爆炸，截至6月中旬，已向墨西哥湾释放了约300万桶原油(《经济学人》，2010年)。这些石油对墨西哥湾的水生和沿海生态系统有一系列有害影响。其中一种影响可能包括改变沿海湿地中重金属的生物地球化学循环。汞(Hg)和砷(As)的循环都取决于微生物的活动，特别是铁和硫酸盐的还原，这可能会因有机物(即石油)的流入而促进。沿海湿地特别容易受到重金属污染，因此可能特别容易受到石油泄漏造成的重金属循环的影响。该项目将检测阿拉巴马州威克斯湾沉积物岩心的固体和孔隙水在未来8到12个月内微生物活动、砷浓度和形态、汞浓度和形态的变化。结果将对生物修复、生物地球化学、地球微生物学和环境健康领域产生广泛的兴趣。在研究进展期间，私人投资机构将与当地科学家和政府官员合作，并计划在阿拉巴马湾沿岸地区举办技术研讨会和讲习班。由于海洋石油泄漏是全球共同的环境问题，研究中收集的数据应该会让许多其他受影响的地区受益。研究将使阿拉巴马州的学生接触到最先进的方法和及时的研究主题。Week Bay现场将作为奥本大学阿拉巴马州黑带水教育(WEW)外联活动和现有课程的户外实验室。

The explosion of the oil rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010 has released ~3 million barrels of crude oil to the Gulf as of mid-June (The Economist, 2010). This oil has a range of deleterious effects on the aquatic and coastal ecosystems of the Gulf. One such effect may include alteration of biogeochemical cycling of heavy metals in the coastal wetlands. Cycling of mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) both depend on microbial activity, particularly iron and sulfate reduction, which may be promoted by the influx of organic matter (i.e. oil). Coastal wetlands are particularly susceptible to heavy metal contamination and may therefore be especially vulnerable to altered heavy metal cycling as a result of the oil spill. This project would examine solids and pore waters from sediment cores in Weeks Bay, Alabama for changes in microbial activity, arsenic concentration and speciation, and mercury concentration and speciation over the next eight to twelve months.Results will be of broad interest to the fields of bioremediation, biogeochemistry, geomicrobiology, and environmental health. During the progress of the study, PIs will be cooperating with local scientists and government officials, and plan on presenting technical seminars and workshops in the Alabama Gulf shore region. Because ocean oil spills are a common environmental problem worldwide, the data gathered in the research should benefit many other affected regions. Research will expose students from Alabama to state of the art methods and to a timely research topic. The Weeks Bay field site will serve as an outdoor laboratory for Auburn University Water Education for Alabama Black Belt (WET) outreach activities and existing courses.