In 2019, the Council began exploring how genetics can be used to monitor for exposure to crude oil. This relatively new area of study uses transcriptomics, which involves measuring how particular genes are expressed in an organism, in this case blue mussels.
When a mussel is exposed to a chemical irritant such as crude oil, certain genes respond, triggering mRNA to carry a message to the mussel’s cells. That message tells the cells how to deal with the irritant. Every irritant triggers a different pattern of genes, so scientists can identify oiled mussels by looking for genetic patterns that are unique to crude oil.
Council studies on this topic:
| View additional details | Author | Date | Description | View Document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Summary Of Effects Of The April 2020 Oil Spill Detected In Study Of Mussel Genes | Austin Love, Brenda Ballachey, Eric Litman, James R. Payne, Lizabeth Bowen, Shannon Waters, William B. Driskell | March 1, 2023 | On April 12, 2020, a minor oil spill was reported at the Valdez Marine Terminal (VMT) in Port Valdez, Alaska. An estimated 1,400 gallons (~34 barrels) of Alaska North Slope … | |
| Transcriptomic responses to an Alaskan oil spill over time reveal a dynamic multisystem involvement in exposed mussels (Mytilus trossulus) | Austin Love, Brenda Ballachey, Eric Litman, James R. Payne, Lizabeth Bowen, Shannon Waters, William B. Driskell | January 1, 2023 | In response to a minor shoreline spill in Port Valdez, AK, a time series of mussels (M. trossulus) was collected and analyzed for oil burdens and transcriptome response. In general, … | |
| Full Report: Mussel Chemistry and Transcriptomic Response after a Minor Alaskan Oil Spill | Austin Love, Brenda Ballachey, Eric Litman, James R. Payne, Lizabeth Bowen, William B. Driskell | September 22, 2021 | For this report, researchers analyzed mussels for oil concentrations and genetic response to the April 2020 spill, both near and far away from the spill site. | |
| Executive Summary: Mussel Oiling and Genetic Response to the April 2020 Valdez Marine Terminal Spill | Austin Love, Brenda Ballachey, Eric Litman, James R. Payne, Lizabeth Bowen, William B. Driskell | August 20, 2021 | For this report, researchers analyzed mussels for oil concentrations and genetic response to the April 2020 spill, both near and far away from the spill site. | |
| Using Mussel Transcriptomics For Environmental Monitoring In Port Valdez Alaska – 2019 And 2020 Pilot Study Results | Austin Love, Brenda Ballachey, Heather Coletti, James R. Payne, Katrina Counihan, Lizabeth Bowen, Shannon Waters, William B. Driskell | February 17, 2021 | The goal of this pilot study was to determine if transcriptomic analysis of mussel tissue would be useful as a part of the Council’s Long-Term Environmental Monitoring Program (LTEMP). | |
| Port Valdez Mussel Transcriptomics | Austin Love, Brenda Ballachey, Heather Coletti, Katrina Counihan, Lizabeth Bowen, Shannon Waters | November 20, 2019 | This pilot project provided funding to evaluate if a new environmental monitoring method, transcriptomics, could be used to improve the Council’s Long-Term Environmental Monitoring Program (LTEMP). |