Discussion

Environmental and Ecological Statistics -     

Herbicides: A new threat to the Great Barrier Reef

The runoff of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides and fungicides) from agricultural lands is a key concern for the health of the iconic Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Relatively low levels of herbicide residues can reduce the productivity of marine plants and corals. However, the risk of these residues to Great Barrier Reef ecosystems has been poorly quantified due to a lack of large-scale datasets. Here we present results of a study tracing pesticide residues from rivers and creeks in three catchment regions to the adjacent marine environment. Several pesticides (mainly herbicides) were detected in both freshwater and coastal marine waters and were attributed to specific land uses in the catchment. Elevated herbicide concentrations were particularly associated with sugar cane cultivation in the adjacent catchment. We demonstrate that herbicides reach the Great Barrier Reef lagoon and may disturb sensitive marine ecosystems already affected by other pressures such as climate change.     

Bacterial Degradation of Vegetable Oils

Following initial experiments presented elsewhere (2IOPS), the bacterial degradation of two vegetable oils was investigated in some detail. the number of aerobic and anaerobic heterotrophic bacteria, oil degrading and sulphate reducing bacteria were quantified during simulated spills on a salt marsh. the sediment fatty acid composition was also studied using GC-MS analysis. Degradation of linseed and sunflower oils was concomitant with an increase in the numbers of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Fatty acids analysis revealed preferential degradation of the principal components of the oils (18:3ω3 for linseed oil and 18:2ω6 for sunflower oil). the presence of several isomers of the usual polyunsaturated fatty acids was also detected. the identification of some of these new fatty acids has been carried out. Possible pathways of degradation of these vegetable oils are suggested.     

Vegetable Oil Spills - Pollution Or Over-Cautiousness?

Vegetable oil spills are relatively uncommon compared to those of mineral oil in the marine environment. Evidence from the spillages that have occurred indicate that they can cause the death of animals in the vicinity through suffocation, inhibition of feeding and other non-specific toxic effects. Smothering of the intertidal area may lead to the development of anoxic conditions with associated changes in species diversity. Polymerisation appears to be a key process in determining the persistence of these oils in the intertidal region. Experiments have indicated that indigenous bacteria are capable of degrading the oil until it polymerises and work is being directed towards determining mechanisms to aid in the degradation process. in conclusion, vegetable oils are pollutants although the risk to the marine environment is small but that does not mean we should not be prepared for such events.