Latest hatchery technology, 'fish treadmill' help to reveal Deepwater Horizon's physiological impacts
Monday, December 3, 2012 - 12:02
in Earth & Climate
Scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science are helping to shed light on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill on marine life in the Gulf of Mexico. The School, a leader in the field of marine toxicology used its state-of-the-art hatchery to study the effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on various species of fish, including cobia and mahi mahi. PAH's are toxic components of oil that are released from oil into the water column. The team also studied the effects of photo-enhanced toxicity, or the impact of sunlight on the potency of the toxic compounds found in the oil from the DWH spill.