Introduction to studies on the effects of the (Exxon Valdez) oil spill on early life history stages of Pacific herring, (Clupea pallasi), in Prince William Sound, Alaska

1996 ◽  
Vol 53 (10) ◽  
pp. 2337-2342 ◽  
Author(s):  
E D Brown ◽  
B L Norcross ◽  
J W Short
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Clupea Pallasi ◽  
Life History Stages

Histopathology and cytogenetic evaluation of Pacific herring larvae exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons in the laboratory or in Prince William Sound, Alaska, after the Exxon Valdez oil spill

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 1846-1857 ◽  
Author(s):  
G D Marty ◽  
J E Hose ◽  
M D McGurk ◽  
E D Brown ◽  
D E Hinton
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽  
Clupea Pallasi ◽  
Vacuolar Change ◽  
Pericardial Edema ◽  
Oil Exposure ◽  
Prudhoe Bay

Following the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA, Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) larvae sampled from oiled sites had ascites, pericardial edema, and genotoxic damage. Laboratory study confirmed that these lesions were consistent with oil exposure. Pacific herring larvae were trawled from two oiled and two unoiled sites in Prince William Sound in May 1989. Larvae from oiled sites were shorter, had ingested less food, had slower growth (oiled, 0.07-0.10 mm/day; unoiled, 0.15-0.18 mm/day), and had higher prevalence of cytogenetic damage (oiled, 56-84%; unoiled, 32-40%) and ascites (oiled, 16%; unoiled, 1%) than from unoiled sites. In the laboratory experiment, Pacific herring eggs were exposed to an oil-water dispersion of Prudhoe Bay crude oil (initial concentrations of 0.0, 0.10, 0.24, 0.48, and 2.41 mg/L) and sampled for histopathology <24 h after hatching. Effects were significant at the 0.48 mg/L dose (Dunnett's procedure, P < 0.05). Lesions included ascites; hepatocellular vacuolar change; and degeneration or necrosis of skeletal myocytes, retinal cells, and developing brain cells. Lesions in field-sampled larvae were consistent with higher mortality rates documented in larvae from oiled sites.

Early Life History of Fishes in the San Francisco Estuary and Watershed

2004 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Early Life ◽  
San Francisco Bay ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Geographic Region ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Spawning Grounds ◽  
Clupea Pallasi ◽  
Over Time

<em>Abstract.</em>—San Francisco Bay provides spawning and rearing habitat for California’s largest population of Pacific herring <em>Clupea pallasi</em>. This population provides a food source for other species and supports a valuable fishery for Pacific herring roe. Since the inception of the roe fishery in 1973, the California Department of Fish and Game has conducted annual surveys of spawning in San Francisco Bay as part of an ongoing assessment of population status and management of the fishery. The purpose of this paper is to document (1) regions of San Francisco Bay used by Pacific herring as spawning grounds over time, and (2) time periods in which spawning took place. Spawn data were analyzed by geographic region in the bay and by month for the period 1973–2000. During this period, we documented 269 spawning events from Point San Pablo south to Redwood City. Estimates of spawning adult biomass (fish that were not harvested by the fishery) ranged from 80,813 metric tons in 1981–1982 to 3,199 metric tons in 1997– 1998 (mean = 34,688 ± 19,325 SD). January was the peak spawning month, followed by December and February; small variations in this pattern occurred during some years. Overall, the majority of spawning took place in the north-central bay region (Point Bonita to Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, Angel Island, Point San Pablo, Berkeley flats; 55%) and the San Francisco region (Golden Gate Bridge to Candlestick Point; 34%), although it alternated between these two regions over time. In some years, considerable spawning took place in the Oakland–Alameda region (San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge to Bay Farm Island). The largest spawns and peak periods of spawning may not contribute most toward the next generation of Pacific herring, due to differential mortality within the season. For this reason, all regions documented in this study are important spawning grounds for Pacific herring from November through March each year. A number of recent studies have furthered our understanding of Pacific herring early life history and the forces that drive year-class formation in San Francisco Bay. However, studies are especially needed that will improve our ability to adequately address the potential impacts of human activities on Pacific herring in this highly urbanized estuary.

Histopathology of adult Pacific herring in Prince William Sound, Alaska, after the Exxon Valdez oil spill

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary D Marty ◽  
Mark S Okihiro ◽  
Evelyn D Brown ◽  
David Hanes ◽  
David E Hinton
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Hepatic Necrosis ◽  
Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus ◽  
Pacific Herring ◽  
Prince William Sound ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Exxon Valdez ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) sampled from oiled sites in Prince William Sound, Alaska, U.S.A., 3 weeks after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill had multifocal hepatic necrosis and significantly increased tissue concentrations of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). By comparison, Pacific herring from reference sites in 1989 and from all sites in 1990 and 1991 did not have hepatic necrosis or increased PAH concentrations. Adult Pacific herring were sampled for histopathology of liver, spleen, and kidney from oiled and reference sites in April (1989 and 1991) and October (1990 and 1991). Increased scores for macrophage aggregates contributed to significant differences in 1990, but these differences probably resulted from sampling older fish from the oiled site. Naphthalenes were the predominant PAH in all tissue samples. The development of hepatic necrosis and the predominance of naphthalenes in samples from 1989 is consistent with recent laboratory study in which crude oil exposure resulted in dose-dependent expression of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV). We conclude that Pacific herring were exposed to Exxon Valdez oil in 1989 and that development of hepatic necrosis in exposed fish probably was a result of VHSV expression.

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