Effect of an oil spill from M V Sea Transporter on intertidal meiofauna at Goa, India

Short and long term effects of a fuel oil spill from a grounded ship “M V Sea Transporter” on meiofauna of a sandy beach of central West Coast of India were investigated. A significant reduction in the absolute abundance of meiofauna was observed immediately after 3 days of spillage particularly at Sinquerim beach, the site of spillage. The reduction was most pronounced in density of nematodes and harpacticoid copepods, which were the most dominant groups. Long-term response showed no apparent oil-induced changes at major taxa levels. The population density improved considerably after the cessation of monsoons with a parallel decrease in petroleum hydrocarbon concentration in the sediment. Nematodes recovered more quickly than benthic copepods. No evidence for this could be due to reproductive dynamics in meiobentos. Although the effect of the oil on meiofauna could be seen initially it could not be proved conclusively on a long-term basis. The effects of the oil spill were confounded with seasonal monsoon effects and beach dynamics. The nematode:copepod ratio and the index of trophic diversity (ITD) were inadequate for detecting oil pollution effects. Therefore it may be concluded that in the presence of other environmental factors acting strongly, the effects of oil on meiofauna was strong but of a temporary nature.