Have wild pink salmon and their habitat recovered from persistent Exxon Valdez oil contamination

Results show that drainage of groundwater from beaches into surface and subsurface stream water provides a mechanism for contaminant exchange providing evidence that pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) spawning habitat in Prince William Sound was contaminated by Exxon Valdez oil. Low levels of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) from the Exxon Valdez remain in two of six previously heavily oiled streams examined leading to the opinion that most spawning habitat has recovered or is recovering. Exposure of pink salmon embryos from five brood years to similar levels of hydrocarbons showed a variety of lethal and sublethal responses.