How toxic is crude oil to deep-sea organisms?

What is it about?

Investigating toxicity of Maconde crude oil on deep-sea crustaceans which are vertical migrator. This study looked into how sensitive these deep-sea organisms are compared to other species.

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Why is it important?

The targeted species (for this research) are key trophic intermediates in deep-sea food webs, and represent a major trophic link between deep-water and shallow-water ecosystems. These animals are involved in one of the largest animals’ migration on earth, during which huge populations of animals migrate from the mesopelagic zone into the epipelagic zone on a nightly basis. This is an ongoing project and in addition to the single hydrocarbons toxicity, toxicity of the whole oil on deep-sea organisms are being investigated.