Effects of a Light Crude Oil Spill on a Tropical Coastal Phytoplankton Community.

Oiling scenarios following spills vary in concentration and usually can affect large coastal areas. Consequently, this research evaluated different crude oil concentrations (10, 40, and 80 mg L) on the nearshore phytoplanktonic community in the southern Gulf of Mexico. This experiment was carried out for ten days using eight units of 2500 L each; factors monitored included shifts in phytoplankton composition, physicochemical parameters and the culturable bacterial abundance of heterotrophic and hydrocarbonoclastic groups.

Taxocoenosis of epibenthic dinoflagellates in the coastal waters of the northern Yucatan Peninsula before and after the harmful algal bloom event in 2011-2012.

Eutrophication causes the major impact in the coastal waters of the state of Yucatan. In general, loss of water quality and biological communities and massive development of toxic microorganisms are some of the consequences of this phenomenon. To reveal changes in species composition and cell abundance of the taxocoenosis of epibenthic dinoflagellates before and after a harmful algal bloom event in the water column that lasted about 150days (August-December 2011) in the Dzilam - San Crisanto area (northern Yucatan Peninsula, southeastern Gulf of Mexico) were the main objectives of the present study.