ASSESSMENT OF THE TOXICITY OF KUWAIT CRUDE-OIL ON THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND RESPIRATION OF SEAGRASSES OF THE NORTHERN GULF

Photosynthetic and respiratory responses of leaf tissues of the seagra sses Halophila ovalis, H. stipulacea, and Halodule uninervis exposed f or 12-18 h to unweathered Kuwait crude oil were measured using an oxyg en electrode system to assess the possibility of acute toxicity. Leaf tissues were incubated in natural seawater (control treatment) or in t he water-soluble fraction of a 1% (weight:volume) solution of Kuwait c rude oil in seawater (oil treatment). Photosynthesis vs. irradiance (P I) responses exhibited typical light-saturation kinetics. One-way anal ysis of variance detected no significant treatment effects on the PI c haracteristics: alpha, P(max), I(k), or I(c). Respiration rates were a lso not significantly affected by short-term exposure to the oil treat ment. In addition, no significant among-species differences in PI char acteristics or respiration were detected, possibly reflecting the low metabolic state for these subtropical species during Leg II sampling w hen water temperatures were 16-19-degrees-C. These results support our observations that the Gulf War oil spill primarily impacted intertida l communities rather than the submergent plant communities of the nort hern Gulf region.