DEVELOPMENT OF A BIOASSAY FOR OILS 
USING BROWN ALGAE 
M. Dennis Hanisak 
Richard L. Steele 
U.S. Environmental Research Laboratory 
Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882 
ABSTRACT 
Bioassay procedures were developed to observe the effects of No. 2 fuel oil, 
two jet fuels, and a crude oil on the growth and early development of Fucus 
zygotes and Laminaria gametophytes. These algae are as sensitive, or more so, 
than fish and invertebrates previously tested in oil bioassays. Fucus sperm and 
Laminaria spores are extremely sensitive to oil, with dramatic effects at the 
levels of 2 ppb. These results indicated that these species are potentially good 
bioassay organisms, and also that chronic, low-level pollution could 
significantly alter the community structure in marine ecosystems. 
INTRODUCTION 
Algae are the primary producers in the marine ecosystem. Yet, despite their 
importance, little is known on how they are affected by specific pollutants in 
their environment. A bioassay is one method of studying pollution effects on 
organisms. This paper reports on bioassay procedures developed with two 
brown algal genera, Fucns and Laminaria. 
In order to be a useful bioassay organism, an alga should be readily available 
in nature, easily maintained in the laboratory, hardy enough to grow in culture, 
yet sensitive enough to respond to low levels of pollution encountered in 
nature, and preferably, of ecological or economic importance. Both Fucus and 
Laminaria have most, if not all, of these qualities; yet, because of differences in 
their habitats, they might react differently to an oil spill. Fucus, being an 
intertidal species, would be subjected to repeated immersion in the water mass 
and be coated with oil when the tide is out. Laminaria is a subtidal species and 
would normally be subjected only to concentrations of oil present in the water 
column. 
101 
