THE IMPORTANCE OF USING APPROPRIATE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS IN OIL SPILL IMPACT STUDIES: AN EXAMPLE FROM THE AMOCO CADIZ OIL SPILL IMPACT ZONE

ABSTRACT On March 16, 1978, the tanker Amoco Cadiz ran aground off the coast of North Brittany. Her cargo of 221,000 tons of light crude oil was released into the sea. More than 126 miles of coastline were oiled, including a number of oyster (Crassostrea gigas) growing establishments. The North Brittany coastline already was stressed by earlier additions of oil and metals. In December 1979, 21 months after the oil spill, measurements of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, aspartate aminotransferase activity, and condition index were made in 14 populations of C. gigas. Five of the populations were outside the oil spill impact zone; nine populations were within it. At the same time the body burden of Cr, Ag, Pd, Zn, Cu, Cd, and Hg, as well as the body burden of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, was determined. Also at the same time, the numbers of total and fecal coliform bacteria in the ambient water were determined. Results of stepwise multiple regression have shown that 21 months after the Amo...