Assessment of polyaromatic hydrocarbon degradation by potentially pathogenic environmental Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates from coastal Louisiana, USA

A presumed Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolate from Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA was previously reported to grow on phenanthrene, a polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) found in crude oil. Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, concerns were raised that PAH-degrading V. parahaemolyticus could increase in abundance, leading to elevated risks of disease derived from shellfish consumption. To assess this possibility, we examined responses to naphthalene and phenanthrene of 17 coastal Louisiana environmental V. parahaemolyticus isolates representing five distinct genotypes. Isolates were obtained immediately after the spill began and after oil had reached the Louisiana coast. None of the isolates grew on or oxidized either substrate and a naphthalene degradation product, 1-naphthol, substantially inhibited growth of some isolates. The use of PAH by V. parahaemolyticus is unusual, and an increase in human health risks due to stimulation of V. parahaemolyticus growth by oil-derived PAH under in situ conditions appears unlikely.     

Interrupting a multi-species bioinvasion vector: the efficacy of in-water cleaning for removing biofouling on obsolete vessels

Vector management is the primary method for reducing and preventing nonindigenous species (NIS) invasions and their ecological and economic consequences. This study was the first to examine the efficacy of in-water scrubbing using a submersible cleaning and maintenance platform (SCAMP) to prevent invertebrate species transfers from a heavily fouled obsolete vessel. Initially, prior to treatment, 37 species were recorded in a biofouling matrix that reached 30cm depth in some locations. The bryozoan Conopeum chesapeakensis, and bivalves Mytilopsis leucophaeata and Ischadium recurvum, were dominant sessile species that created structure, supporting mobile biota that included crabs and the associated parasitic barnacle Loxothylacus panopae. Scrubbing had the effect of significantly reducing organism extent and the number of species per sample, but a substantial and diverse (30 species) residual fouling community remained across the entire vessel. Further assessments of management options are needed to prevent potentially damaging NIS transfers. Additional measures taken within an integrated vector management (IVM) strategy may further improve invasion prevention measures.