Recruitment of commensals to cultch bags at control and oiled sites in Barataria Bay 2011-2013

Commensal recruitment was studied on vexar mesh bags submersed monthly at four sites in Barataria Bay. Bay Jimmy and Grand Terre were contaminated, Grand Isle and Hackberry Bay were control sites. Bags were deployed seasonally in both 2012 and 2013, and the results indicated that while commensal abundance was generally greater at oiled sites, the effects of hydrocarbon contamination several years post spill were neither large nor consistent.