Oil Ecology 



Barrow Spills 



Terrestrial 

 Brent McCown* 

 Don Vietor 

 Jerry Brown 



Paul Murnnann 

 Pat Coyne 

 Larry Tieszen 

 Doug Johnson 

 Bob Benoit* 



Walt Campbell 



Bob Breedlove 



USA CRREL 

 USA CRREL 

 USA CRREL 



USA CRREL 

 USA CRREL 

 Augustana College 

 Augustana College 

 Virginia Polytechnic 



Institute 

 Virginia Polytechnic 



Institute 

 Yale University 



Simpson Seeps 



Brent McCown* 

 Jerry Brown 

 Paul Murrmann* 



Richard Haugen 

 Richard McGaw 

 Pat Coyne 

 Pat Hunt 

 Bob Benoit* 



Bob Barsdate* 

 Bill Fuller 



USA CRREL 

 USA CRREL 

 USA CRREL 



USA CRREL 



USA CRREL 



USA CRREL 



USA CRREL 



Virginia Polytechnic 

 Institute 



University of Alaska 



University of Cali- 

 fornia 



Aquatic 



Bob Barsdate* 

 Richard Prentki 

 Alex Fu 



University of Alaska 

 University of Alaska 

 University of Alaska 



The influence of crude;oil on the arctic ecosystems was investigated both at Barrow in the 

 IBP study area and at Cape Simpson on the naturally occurring oil seeps. The Barrow studies 

 consisted of two experiments on terrestrial spills and one on aquatic spiUs. All spills utilized 

 Prudhoe Bay crude oil (Sag. River Well Number 1) which was flown in from Prudhoe Bay by ARCO 

 in early June in sealed 55-gallai drums. Both the terrestrial oil spill and seep investigations 

 were originally initiated by USA CRREL scientists. But it was obvious very early in the field 

 season that greater involvement by a variety of biological disciplines would be highly desirable. 

 The oil ecology investigations quickly became a focal point for almost all IBP subprojects. The 

 results presented in the following sections represent the collective efforts of a number of senior 

 investigators. It should be emphasized early in the report that the 1970 observations were at 

 pilot project or reconnaissance levels. Much more research of a sustained and comprehensive 

 nature is required before definitive recommendations or interpretations c;uibe offered. 



Baxrow oil spills 



Terrestrial. A series of oil spills were created at Barrow, Alaska, to fulfiU several 

 objectives: 



1. To investigate the effects of oil spills on tundra plant soil systems, and to become familiar 

 with the quantitative aspects of oil pollution on tundra terrain. 



2. To determine if fertilization of an oil spill on the tundra will increase the rate of recovery 

 of the plant/ soil system. 



Treatment sites were chosen in two areas of different moisture levels. Site 1 was relatively 

 di-y, having a sandy gravel subsoil and a shallow surface organic layer less than 4 cm tluck. The 

 thaw at the time of treatment (22 June 1970) ranged between 3 and 6 cm. Site 3 had standing 

 water at the surface and was on a silty soil. The thaw at site 3 at the time of treatment was 

 12 cm and the organic layer was more than 4 cm thick. Similar plots in each site were selected 



Principal aiilluus. 



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