Combined effects of elevated temperature and Deepwater Horizon oil exposure on the cardiac performance of larval mahi-mahi, Coryphaena hippurus

PLoS One. 2018 Oct 17;13(10):e0203949. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203949. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill coincided with the spawning season of many pelagic fish species in the Gulf of Mexico. Yet, few studies have investigated physiological responses of larval fish to interactions between anthropogenic crude oil exposure and natural factors (e.g. temperature, oxygen levels). Consequently, mahi mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) embryos were exposed for 24 hours to combinations of two temperatures (26 and 30°C) and six concentrations of oiled fractions of weathered oil (from 0 to 44.1 μg ∑50PAHs·L-1). In 56 hours post-fertilization larvae, heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output were measured as indicators of functional cardiac phenotypes. Fluid accumulation and incidence of edema and hematomas were quantified as indicators of morphological impairments. At both 26 and 30°C, oil-exposed larvae suffered dose-dependent morphological impairments and functional heart failure. Elevation of temperature to 30°C appeared to induce greater physiological responses (bradycardia) at PAH concentrations in the range of 3.0-14.9 μg·L-1. Conversely, elevated temperature in oil-exposed larvae reduced edema severity and hematoma incidence. However, the apparent protective role of warmer temperature does not appear to protect against enhanced mortality. Collectively, our findings show that elevated temperature may slightly decrease larval resilience to concurrent oil exposure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cardiac Output / drug effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian / drug effects
  • Gulf of Mexico
  • Heart / drug effects
  • Heart / physiopathology
  • Heart Rate
  • Hot Temperature
  • Larva / drug effects*
  • Larva / physiology
  • Oxygen Consumption / drug effects
  • Perciformes / physiology*
  • Petroleum Pollution / adverse effects*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / adverse effects*

Substances

  • Water Pollutants, Chemical

Grants and funding

This research was made possible by a grant from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative. Data are publicly available through the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC) at https://data.gulfresearchinitiative.org (doi:<10.7266/N7PR7T17>; doi:<10.7266/N7T151PG>; doi:<10.7266/N7C53HX0). Grant N0; SA-1520; Name: Relationship of Effects of Cardiac Outcomes in fish for Validation of Ecological Risk (RECOVER) to MG, WWB and DB. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.