We assessed the effects of crude oil and drill cuttings on sediment oxygen demand (SOD) of marine benthic communities from Arctic (Barents Sea) and temperate (Oslofjord) areas of the Norwegian continental shelf. Field-collected cores in both areas were subjected to three different treatments: two concentrations of hydrocarbon-contaminated sediments, and drill cuttings (DC). Cores were incubated for 21 days at 5°C (Barents Sea) and at 10°C (Oslofjord) during which SOD was measured five times. We observed significantly higher SOD in the high oil concentration (HOC) and DC treatments compared to control cores from the Arctic, but not in the temperate Oslofjord. No difference was observed between the low oil concentration (LOC) and control at either location. The clear differences in the response of Arctic benthic communities to petroleum compounds compared to temperate benthic communities is likely related to differences in community structure, sensitivity of individual taxa to petroleum-related compounds and different contamination history of the two study areas.
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