Resilience of larval wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) to hydrocarbons and other compounds released from naturally weathered diluted bitumen in a boreal lake

The risks to aquatic wildlife from spills of diluted bitumen (dilbit) into inland waters are poorly understood. In this paper, we describe the response of larval wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) to hydrocarbons and other compounds released from experimental spills of dilbit in a temperate boreal lake. To simulate a wide range of environmentally relevant oil spill scenarios, different volumes of Cold Lake Winter Blend dilbit (0, 1.5, 2.9, 5.5, 18, 42, 82, and 180 L) were added to 10 m diameter in-lake limnocorrals. Larvae (n = 360) were reared (from Gosner Stage (GS) 25 to similar to 42) in land-based aquatic microcosms, where they were first exposed to clean water during a 2-week baseline phase, and then (at GS similar to 30), to contaminated water withdrawn from the limnocorrals for 3 weeks. We observed no statistically significant trends in survival, growth, or development of larvae as a consequence of exposure to the chemical compounds released from naturally weathered dilbit. Likewise, neither cytochrome P450 1A biomarkers nor levels of thyroid hormones in wood frogs near metamorphic climax were significantly related to volume of the oil spills. However, there was a modest statistically significant decrease in larval activity (up to 8.7% relative to the control), but no change in other behavioral metrics (i.e., sociality or space use). Our work adds to the limited body of literature on the effects of unconventional oils on aquatic wildlife and helps to inform risk assessments regarding pipeline projects.

Automated summary

This study investigates the effects of experimental spills of diluted bitumen on larval wood frogs. The results suggest that exposure to chemical compounds released from naturally weathered dilbit does not significantly impact survival, growth, or development of the larvae. However, a modest decrease in larval activity is observed.