Cellular physiological effects of the MV Kyowa Violet fuel-oil spill on the hard coral, Porites lobata

The grounding of the Merchant Vessel (MV) Kyowa Violet on a coral reef near Yap, Federated States of Micronesia, in December 2002 resulted in the release of an estimated 55,000 to 80,000 gallons of intermediate fuel oil grade 180. The immediate impact was the widespread coating of mangroves and the intertidal zone along more than 8 km of coastline. Of greater concern, however, was the partitioning of the fuel oil in the water column, leading to chronic exposure of organisms in the ecosystem for a considerable period after the initial event. Herein, we report on our examination of one coral species, Porites lobata, nearly three months after the initial exposure. We investigated whether changes in cellular physiology were consistent with the pathological profile that results from the interaction of corals with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the principal constituent of fuel oil. Specifically, we document, to our knowledge for the first time, changes in the cellular physiological condition of an exposed coral population affected by a fuel-oil spill. We also provide evidence that the observed changes are consistent with a recent exposure to fuel oil, as evidenced by the presence of characteristic cellular lesions attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Finally, our data support a model for a mechanistic relationship between the cellular pathological profile of the coral and a recent petroleum exposure, such as the MV Kyowa Violet fuel oil spill.