No. 2 Fuel Oil Spill in Bourne, Massachusetts: Immediate Assessment of the Effects on Marine Invertebrates and a 3-Year Study of Growth and Recovery of a Salt Marsh

Abstract

On October 9, 1974 the oil barge Bouchard 65 loaded with 73 000 barrels of oil spilled what was initially thought by the Coast Guard to be a few barrels and later raised to an undetermined amount of No. 2 fuel oil off the west entrance of the Cape Cod Canal in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts (anchor site C, Fig. 1). Within the following 2-wk period, oil from the barge was found contained along the west side of Bassett's Island and inner Red Brook Harbor, a distance of 5.0 km from the site of the spillage. Qualitative samples of dead and moribund marine invertebrates were collected in tide pools and slight depressions along the beaches. A collection consisting of 4360 invertebrates comprising 105 species, plus 2 species of fish were found in 8 samples. Noticeable effects of the oil on the salt-marsh plant community were also observed. A detailed quantitative examination was begun to determine the effects of the oil on various components of the affected salt-marsh community in Winsor Cove compared to a selected control site. From data collected in September 1977, the marsh grass in the lower intertidal zone in Winsor Cove has shown an inability to reestablish itself by either reseeding or rhizome growth. The associated sediments show a correspondingly high concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons impregnated in the peat substrate. Erosion rates measured in the affected area, as a result of the 3-yr period of marsh degeneration, were 24 times greater than the control site. Microscopic algae were collected during the sampling period and those present were considered least sensitive to environmental changes. Examination of the interstitial fauna found in the study area in the summer of 1977 showed an extremely reduced number of individuals and species. Key words: salt marsh, No. 2 fuel oil, petroleum, erosion, pollution, algae, marsh grass, interstitial fauna, marine invertebrates