Response of Deep-Sea Benthic Foraminiferal Faunas to the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Authors

Jeanette M. deCuba, Florida International UniversityFollow

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Major/Program

Geosciences

First Advisor's Name

Laurel S. Collins

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee chair

Second Advisor's Name

Florentin Maurrasse

Second Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Member

Third Advisor's Name

Heather Bracken-Grissom

Third Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Member

Keywords

oil spill, BP Deepwater Horizon, benthic foraminifera, cluster analysis, ATI

Date of Defense

6-21-2023

Abstract

The DWH spill was one of history’s largest oil spills. Marine-oil snow sedimentation, known as the MOSSFA event, occurred after the blowout. This study’s purpose was to identify patterns in Gulf of Mexico benthic foraminifera during the DWH spill, and their use as indicators of past spills. Wall composition and assemblage diversity were analyzed and compared to DPM concentrations in DSH 10. A shift in agglutinated abundance from below to within the DPM interval, and a correlation between tubular agglutinated species and DPM were revealed. Taxonomy and faunal analysis reveal Trochammina species to be major contributors to the change in assemblage prior to and after DPM deposition. Elemental analysis of DPM and published geochemistry on the DSH 10 suggests DPM deposition was the result of the MOSSFA event. This work added knowledge to how hydrocarbons impact deep sea benthic ecosystems and that certain agglutinated species could be oil spill event indicators.

Identifier

FIDC011200

Recommended Citation

deCuba, Jeanette M., "Response of Deep-Sea Benthic Foraminiferal Faunas to the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill" (2023). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 5366.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/5366