Ecotoxicological tests were done at Davis and Casey Stations in 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12 summer seasons under AAS Project 3054 to test the sensitivity of near-shore marine invertebrates to fuels in seawater. The three fuel types used in this project were: Special Antarctic Blend diesel (SAB), Marine Gas Oil diesel (MGO) and an intermediate grade (180) of marine bunker fuel oil (IFO).
This dataset contains the results of tests with the near-shore amphipod species Paramoera walkeri exposed to WAFs of SAB, MGO and IFO 180 (specified below) conducted at Davis Station in 2009/10 summer (Season 1).
Test treatments were obtained by experimentally mixing fuel and seawater in temperature control cabinets at -1°C to prepare a mixture of fuel hydrocarbons in filtered seawater (FSW) termed the water accommodated fraction (WAF). WAF was produced by adding fuel to seawater in 5 L or 10 L Pyrex glass bottles using a ratio of 1:40 fuel : FSW. This mixture was stirred at slow speed with minimal vortex on a magnetic stirrer. The water portion was then drawn from beneath the fuel. Test treatments consisted of undiluted 100% WAF and dilutions of 10% and 1% of WAFs in FSW.
Toxicity tests were conducted in open glass vessels in temperature controlled cabinets. Mortality and/or sub-lethal effects were observed at endpoints of 24 h, 48 h, 96 h, 7 d, 14 d, and 21 d. Treatments were renewed at 7 d intervals. Water quality data was collected at each water change.
Hydrocarbon concentrations in WAFs were determined from replicate experiments to measure THC in WAFs over time (Dataset AAS_3054_THC_WAF).
WAF exposure concentrations for each test endpoint were derived from these hydrocarbon tests to account for depletion of hydrocarbons from test treatments and any renewal of treatments. An integrated concentration was calculated from measured hydrocarbon concentrations weighted to time. These integrated THC concentrations for endpoints from 24h to 21d are contained in dataset AAS_3054_THC_WAF_integrated_conc_09_10 and are the exposure concentrations used for analysis of sensitivity.
Species tested;
Paramoera walkeri amphipod; adults
This dataset consists of Excel spreadsheets. The file name code for invertebrate tests is;
Project number_Season_Taxa_Test name
Eg AAS_3054_09_10_amphipod_1PWA1
Project number : AAS_3054
Season : 2009/10 season
Taxa: amphipod
Test name: 1 for Season 1, PW for genus and species, A for adult, 1 for Test 1
Spreadsheets contain the results of tests with this species. Where replicate tests were conducted, each experiment is on a separate spreadsheet. The worksheet labelled 'Test conditions' shows details of Test name, dates, animal collection details, laboratory holding conditions, details of water accommodated fractions (WAF), test conditions, scoring criteria and water quality data. The worksheet labelled 'Counts' has columns for Replicate number and columns with the Score for all the animals in that replicate at every time endpoint. A full description of the scoring criteria is on the 'Test conditions' worksheet. Totals, means and standard deviations are calculated for each treatment. The worksheet labelled 'Totals, means, percent, StDev' has calculations of Survival, Unaffected, including mean and standard deviation, Percent Survival and Unaffected including means and standard deviation. Amphipod tests also show the Total number of moults in each treatment.
Samples were collected at the following locations:
- Airport Beach, Davis, Vestfold Hills
