pollutant determinations to be performed in the laboratories of 

 C. S. Giam, B. J. Presley and W. M. Sackett. 



Organization: University of Texas 



Marine Science Institute at Port Aransas 

 Investigator: J. A. C. Nicol and Chase Van Baaien 

 Project title: Marine Petroleum Pollution: Biological Effects 



and Chemical Characterization 

 Grant No.: GX-37345 



The investigators are continuing studies using some of 

 the commonly available animals of the Texas coastal region 

 These investigations include the effects of petroleum on sperm, 

 egg permeability, fertilization, cleavage, early development of 

 embryos, feeding, and cardiac responses. 



In research dealing with microalgae, it has been found that 

 some microalgae are quite sensitive to water solubles from 

 petroleum pollutants. Sensitive forms may slowly adapt and 

 become less sensitive. This information is based on work with 

 pure cultures. A possible influence of a bacterial and fungal 

 population on the chemical composition of oil is that they may 

 alter toxic materials and thereby allow algal growth. Microalgae 

 also may be able to metabolize and possible detoxify aromatics. 

 On the other hand, aromatics apparently are degraded slowly 

 and with difficulty by bacteria or fungi. They may accumulate 

 with chronic spills. 



Variations in the observed toxicity of different oils suggest 

 that it is as important to know the type of oil as it is to know 

 the concentration. Uncertainties about weathering of oils, mi- 

 crobial degradation, and input of natural biogenic hydrocarbons 

 make determination of low-level petroleum concentrations dif- 

 ficult. For these reasons the investigators are attempting to 

 characterize a few of the agents in oils that demonstrate the 

 greatest toxicity to test organisms. 



Organization: University of Alaska 



Institute of Marine Science 

 Investigator: John J. Goering 

 Project title: Nitrogen and Silicon Regeneration in 



Controlled Aquatic Ecosystems (CEPEX) 

 Grant No.: IDO 75-03678 



The objective of this study is to determine the effects of 

 low levels of pollutants (e.g. heavy metals, hydrocarbons) on 

 the rates of nitrogen and silicon regeneration in pelagic marine 

 ecosystems to provide a scientific basis for determining dele- 

 terious effects on nutrient regenerative processes. It is planned 

 to use the ' 'N and "Si stable isotope tracer methods to measure 

 the various regeneration rates. ' N will be used to measure: 1) 

 total ammonium production by bacterial decomposition of 

 organic matter and by zooplankton excretion, 2) utilization of 

 ammonium by phytoplankton and other microorganisms, 3 ) 

 bacterial oxidation of ammonium to nitrite, 4) bacterial oxida- 

 tion of nitrite to nitrate, and 5 ) bacterial and phytoplankton 

 production of nitrite by reduction of nitrate. -''Si and -^"Si will 

 be used to measure 1 ) silicic acid uptake by silicon requiring 

 phytoplankton and 2) silicic acid production by dissolution of 

 silica containing phytoplankton. 



Organization: University of California at San Diego 



Institute of Marine Resources 

 Investigator: John R. Beers 



Project title: Microzooplankton in the Controlled 



Environment Pollution Experiment (CEPEX) 

 Grant No.: GX-39145 



The taxonomic composition, numerical abundance, and 

 biomass of the populations of small animal plankton were 

 monitored during all quarter-scale CEE (CEPEX experimen- 

 tal enclosure) studies conducted in 1974. In general, changes 

 in the microzooplankton taxa and their abundances in two un- 

 perturbed CEE plankton populations monitored for a month 

 during the replication study (May 2 to 30) were very similar 

 throughout the period of observation. In the first study of the 

 effects of copper (June 16 to July 12) the numbers and biomass 

 of both the protozoan and metazoan fractions of the populations 

 dropped to lower levels in the CEEs with copper (10 and 50 

 ppb) compared with the control containers. The effects on var- 

 ious microzooplankton taxa were generally more extreme, the 

 response more rapid, and recovery, if any, slower at the higher 

 copper level. In a second experiment testing copper at 5 and 10 

 ppb (September 3 to-30), metazoans, principally copepod 

 nauplii, were generally somewhat lower in abundance in the 5 

 ppb Cu CEE relative to the control. A more marked difference 

 was seen at 10 ppb. However, protozoa at 10 ppb Cu, although 

 dominated by a different species of oligotrich ciliate than the 

 control, didn't show marked differences from the control in the 

 total ciliate biomass until the last week of observation, when 

 very rapid growth was seen in the copper-containing CEE. (CEE 

 samples of 5 ppb Cu have not yet been analyzed for the proto- 

 zoa.) Neither the protozoan or metazoan components of the 

 microzooplankton showed marked and consistent differences in 

 total population dynamics-between the controls and either of 

 the "experimental" CEEs during the study on the effects of 

 petroleum hydrocarbons (August 2 to 27). 



Organization: University of California at San Diego 



Institute of Marine Resources 

 Investigator: R. W. Eppley, W. G. Harrison, and E. H. Renger 

 Project title: Kinetics of Nutrient Assimilation by 



Phytoplankton (CEPEX) 

 Grant No.: ID074-C4838 



The project objective is to assess the kinetics of nutrient 

 uptake by phytoplankton. Field work by the investigators at 

 the CEPEX site (Saanich Inlet, Sidney, British Columbia) has 

 shown that uptake rates of ammonium and nitrate by phyto- 

 plankton were largely regulated by ambient levels of the nu- 

 trients in the water. Ammonium assimilation was approxi- 

 mately equivalent to that of nitrate, in spite of the fact that 

 only nitrate was added at intervals to fertilize the CEEs. Min- 

 eralization was obviously important in releasing ammonium 

 from the settled phytoplankton and perhaps also in the en- 

 closed water column. Copper was inhibitory to nitrate uptake 

 for a few days, following its addition. This was not observed 

 after 2 to 3 weeks, by which time shifts in phytoplankton species 

 composition were observed. Synthesis of nitrate reductase, in- 

 duced by nitrate, was inhibited by copper at 10 ppb in the 

 samples of Saanich Inlet water but not in phytoplankton samples 

 from CEEs taken after the species composition shift. Bioassays 

 of copper sensitivity, using photosynthesis measurements showed 

 that phytoplankton from copper-containing CEEs became re- 

 sistant to copper in proportion to ambient levels. 



