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Large-scale fuel deposition patterns on northern Spanish shores following the ‘Prestige’ oil spill

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 May 2008

José Luis Acuña ,
Araceli Puente ,
Ricardo Anadón ,
Consolación Fernández ,
María Luisa Vera ,
José Manuel Rico Ordás ,
Julio Arrontes  and
José Juanes
José Luis Acuña*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo 33071, Spain
Araceli Puente
Affiliation:
Grupo de Emisarios Submarinos e Hidráulica Ambiental, Dpto. Ciencias y Técnicas del Agua y del Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. de los Castros s/n, 39006 Santander, Spain
Ricardo Anadón
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo 33071, Spain
Consolación Fernández
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo 33071, Spain
María Luisa Vera
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo 33071, Spain
José Manuel Rico Ordás
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo 33071, Spain
Julio Arrontes
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo 33071, Spain
José Juanes
Affiliation:
Grupo de Emisarios Submarinos e Hidráulica Ambiental, Dpto. Ciencias y Técnicas del Agua y del Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. de los Castros s/n, 39006 Santander, Spain
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: José Luis Acuña Departamento de Biología de Organismos y SistemasUniversidad de OviedoOviedo 33071Spain email: acuna@uniovi.es
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Abstract

Following the accident of the oil tanker ‘Prestige’, we surveyed the large scale fuel deposition patterns on the Cantabrian shore (northern Spain) covering three regions (from west to east): (i) Asturias, west of Cape Peñas (24 segments surveyed); (ii) Asturias, east of Cape Peñas (33 segments surveyed); and (iii) Cantabria (also east of Cape Peñas, 256 segments surveyed). Fuel arrived to the Cantabrian Coast as a single oil wave which was more intense to the east than to the west of Cape Peñas. The mean percentage of coast length affected was 25, 41 and 15% in western Asturias, eastern Asturias and Cantabria, respectively. However, less than 10% of the substrate was covered by fuel in oiled patches, thus the impact was moderate. We conclude that these patterns are consistent with fuel transport by the Iberian Poleward Current, a hydrographic feature typical of this region during winter.

Keywords

‘Prestige’ oil spillIberian Poleward CurrentCantabrian Seadispersalfuelcoast
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 88 , Issue 3 , May 2008 , pp. 463 - 468
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2008

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