Study finds ‘bunker fuel’ uniquely toxic to fish embryos

The fuel discharged in a 2007 spill in the San Francisco Bay appears to have had a greater toxic effect than the size of the spill would have predicted, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The findings, detailed in an article by the Los Angles Times, chronicle the widespread effects of the “bunker fuel” spilled by the Cosco Busan when it collided with the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Nearly all herring embryos placed in shallow cages near the spill site died.

Since herring feed the area’s seabirds and whales, the spill caused a ripple effect when the population was severely damaged.

For more information, read the full story from the Los Angeles Times.

The full issue of the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science is available online.