Biological and chemical data of oil-derived elements being assimilated by oysters due to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill collected in Alabama and Mississippi coastal waters, June 2008, and April-July 2010(NODC Accession 0118498)

This dataset contains stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen in oyster shell, suspended particulate matter (SPM), and oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Shell material was sampled from oysters grown at five sites along the Mississippi-Alabama coast and in Mobile Bay before, during, and after the spill (June 2008, April-July 2010). Samples of SPM were collected from the same or equivalent sites and timeframes. Oil samples came from tar balls, mats, and semisolid oil forms collected from sediments along the shoreline from the Florida-Alabama border to Petit Bois Island in Mississippi. For all samples, the stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen were determined. Oyster shell samples were also analyzed for six trace and minor elements which have been highlighted for use in detection of hydrocarbon pollution (Cd, Co, Mo, Ni, Pd, V).