Lucinda Jacobs and Betsy Day recently presented at the 2005 Alaska Marine Science Symposium held January 24-26, 2005 in Anchorage, Alaska. Below is an abstract of Ms. Jacobs’ talk.
2004/5 Assessment of Lingering Oil and Resource Injuries from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Integral is conducting a series of evaluations using available scientific data to provide an independent analysis of recovery status of key resources and to define any linkage to residual oil. This work is intended to provide the Trustee Council with an independent analysis of the ecological significance of lingering oil and the recovery status of injured resources, information to help focus and refine future work on oil-affected resources, and a process for achieving closure on some of the scientific and technical activities related directly to impacts from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.
Research to identify and obtain key reference documents and development of a project library to readily access those publications is largely completed. A detailed approach to evaluating lingering oil, resource injury, and recovery was developed and provided in the _Work Plan for the 2004 Assessment of Lingering Oil and Resource Injuries from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill _(Integral 2004a). A conceptual exposure model (CEM) was developed to provides a pictorial representation of the relationship between oil and injured resources, including fate processes that affect the persistence and distribution of oil and exposure pathways that address bioavailability and bioaccessibility (Integral 2004b). The CEM also provides the framework for assessing those resources currently classified as “Recovering” or “Not Recovered”.
Initial finding of this review and synthesis effort are:
• Lingering oil most significant in intertidal areas
• Surface EVO, the focus of evaluation efforts following the oil spill, has a patchy distribution pattern and persists predominantly in a weathered form that is not bioavailable
• Subsurface EVO has experienced more limited weathering and degradation, is sequestered in armored beaches and sheltered shorelines, and has greater bioavailability
• Most resources currently classified as injured have limited or no exposure to lingering oil.