Exposure of deep seagrass beds off the West Coast of Florida to discharged drilling effluents

Abstract

From the Abstract: “During the summer and fall of 1985 Sohio Petroleum Company drilled an exploratory well off the west coast of Florida in what is commonly known as the Big Bend area. [The effect of this drilling on the seagrass Halophila decipiens was monitored]….Reduced growth occurred where greater increases of the drilling effluents were observed. Complete mortality of seagrass was observed within 300 m of the discharge site. At stations located greater than 300 m, leaf counts and biomass estimates were reduced compared to the reference station.”