FATE OF THE ZOE COLOCOTRONI OIL SPILL AND ITS EFFECTS ON INFAUNAL COMMUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH MANGROVES

During 1978 and 1979, sediment samples were collected in the mangrove areas on the west side of Bahia Sucia, Puerto Rico, to examine the effects of oil discharged from the tanker Zoe Colocotroni (March 18, 1973) on the infaunal community. Samples for benthic community analysis and hydrocarbon analysis were taken in representative types of mangrove habitats and compared with habitats in a reference area some distance from the spill site. Infaunal organisms larger than 0.5 mm were included in this study. Correlation of biological and chemical data indicates that for the high salinity habitats there were more infaunal organisms larger than 0.5 millimeters in the oiled area than in the unoiled area. Analyses of the red mangrove fringe areas showed that the distribution of infaunal organisms was not related to the distribution of oil in an obvious way. Large numbers of organisms were found in some heavily oiled areas. Even the most diverse communities seen in the impact area were not as diverse as the community seen in the unoiled reference area. We conclude that only in the red mangrove environment is there remaining damage to infaunal communities from the Zoe Colocotroni oil spill.