Publications by authors named "Alexandra Prouse"
Article Synopsis
- PFOS is a common pollutant that poses various toxic risks to marine life, especially in urban and industrial coastal areas.
- This study examined the relationship between PFOS exposure and levels of l-carnitine and fatty acids in fish and dolphins from Galveston Bay and the northern Gulf of Mexico, finding higher PFOS levels in these organisms.
- Results indicated that l-carnitine is a more effective biomarker for PFOS exposure than fatty acids, as significant correlations between PFOS levels and carnitine were observed, which could indicate possible health issues like dyslipidemia.
Human alterations to the marine environment such as an oil spill can induce oxidative stress in phytoplankton. Exposure to oil has been shown to be lethal to most phytoplankton species, but some are able to survive and grow at unaffected or reduced growth rates, which appears to be independent of the class and phylum of the phytoplankton and their ability to consume components of oil heterotrophically. The goal of this article is to test the role of core metabolism plasticity in the oil-resisting ability of phytoplankton.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhytoplankton play a central role in our ecosystems, they are responsible for nearly 50 percent of the global primary productivity and major drivers of macro-elemental cycles in the ocean. Phytoplankton are constantly subjected to stressors, some natural such as nutrient limitation and some manmade such as oil spills. With increasing oil exploration activities in coastal zones in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere, an oil spill during nutrient-limited conditions for phytoplankton growth is highly likely.
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