Metabolic effects and hydrocarbon fate in arctic bivalves exposed to dispersed petroleum

A number of experiments were carried out in the Canadian Arctic on Baffin Island with the purpose of defining the short- and long-term effects of exposure to dispersed crude oil on marine benthic invertebrates. The study reported here assessed metabolic responses by physiological and biochemical indices, and evaluated these in relation to exposure concentration. The overall objective of the study was to evaluate the potential for long-term survival of benthic communities in the Arctic following an oil spill. This objective was consistent with the goals of the larger Baffin Island Oil Spill (BIOS) program, which was implemented to evaluate the relative mitigating effectiveness of chemical dispersants, as compared to conventional oil spill counter-measures.