To fully assess the long-term impacts of oil spills like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident in the northern Gulf of Mexico, the potential for organisms other than microbes to affect the fate and distribution of the oil may have to be considered. This influence could be substantial for abundant bioturbating benthic animals like the ghost shrimp Lepidophthalmus louisianensis. An assessment of the influence of these ghost shrimp on petroleum hydrocarbons was conducted in laboratory micro- and mesocosms containing coastal Gulf of Mexico sediment, seawater, and oil or the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pyrene. In an experiment with pyrene added to the water column, the ghost shrimp presence lowered water-column pyrene concentrations. In an experiment with oil added to the sediment surface, the ghost shrimp presence decreased PAH concentrations in the sediment surface layer but increased these in the water column and subsurface sediment. A companion study and a mass-balance analysis indicated a net loss of PAHs through an enhancement of microbial degradation. In an experiment in which oil was added as a narrow subsurface layer in the sediment, the ghost shrimp presence appeared to broaden the oil's depth distribution. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ghost shrimp can significantly influence the biodegradation and distribution of spilled oil in coastal ecosystems. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:637-647. © 2019 SETAC.

中文翻译：

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对潮间带石油烃命运的幽灵虾（Leipidophthalmus louisianensis）生物扰动影响的中观评估。

为了全面评估漏油的长期影响，例如在墨西哥湾北部发生的2010年“深水地平线”事件，可能需要考虑微生物以外的生物影响油的命运和分布的可能性。对于丰富的生物扰动底栖动物（如幽灵虾Lepidophthalmus louisianensis）而言，这种影响可能是巨大的。在包含墨西哥湾沿岸沉积物，海水和石油或多核芳香烃（PAH）pyr的实验室微观和中观环境中，评估了这些鬼虾对石油烃的影响。在向水柱中添加pyr的实验中，幽灵虾的存在降低了水柱pyr的浓度。在将油添加到沉积物表面的实验中，幽灵虾的存在降低了沉积物表层的PAH浓度，但增加了水柱和地下沉积物中的PAH浓度。一项伴随研究和质量平衡分析表明，PAH的净损失是由于微生物降解的增加。在一项实验中，在沉积物中将油作为狭窄的地下层添加，鬼虾的出现似乎加宽了油的深度分布。综上所述，这些结果表明，幽灵虾可以显着影响沿海生态系统中溢油的生物降解和分布。Environ Toxicol Chem 2020； 39：637-647。©2019 SETAC。一项伴随研究和质量平衡分析表明，PAH的净损失是由于微生物降解的增加。在一项实验中，在沉积物中将油作为狭窄的地下层添加，鬼虾的出现似乎加宽了油的深度分布。综上所述，这些结果表明，幽灵虾可以显着影响沿海生态系统中溢油的生物降解和分布。Environ Toxicol Chem 2020； 39：637-647。©2019 SETAC。一项伴随研究和质量平衡分析表明，PAH的净损失是由于微生物降解的增加。在一项实验中，在沉积物中将油作为狭窄的地下层添加，鬼虾的出现似乎加宽了油的深度分布。综上所述，这些结果表明，幽灵虾可以显着影响沿海生态系统中溢油的生物降解和分布。Environ Toxicol Chem 2020； 39：637-647。©2019 SETAC。Environ Toxicol Chem 2020； 39：637-647。©2019 SETAC。Environ Toxicol Chem 2020； 39：637-647。©2019 SETAC。