Chronic exposure fish weights and plasma parameters

To fully assess the impacts of Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil on the vertebrate stress response and the trajectory for recovery, our research integrated molecular, cellular, gland/organ and whole animal physiological and behavioral studies using a benthic marine teleost, the Gulf toadfish, a resident of the Gulf of Mexico. This study evaluated multiple pathways (e.g., pituitary fatigue, reduced receptor sensitivity, disruption or overstimulation of cortisol biosynthesis) and the consequence of these changes at the whole animal level (e.g., changes in carbohydrate metabolism, immune capacity and responses to natural stresses such as predation and social interaction). In this series of experiments, fish weight and plasma parameters such as cortisol concentrations were evaluated during long-term exposures to DWH oil. Toadfish were exposed to 0.006 (control), 0.692 (low), 1.432 (medium) and 3.525 (high) ug/L sum 50 total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). Each exposure was followed by a complementary recovery period (i.e., no oil or PAH exposure, 7-28 days) to assess the recovery trajectory. These experiments were completed at Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), University of Miami, Marine Technology & Life Sciences Seawater Complex (MTLSS) Building, room 211 between January 2019 to December 2019.