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Investigating the effect of oil spills
on the environment and public health.
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Paul L. Klerks

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Department of Biology

P.O.Box 42451
Lafayette , LA  70504  

klerks@louisiana.edu

Project List:

The Effect of Sediment Bioturbators on the Biological Degradation of Petroleum in Coastal Ecosystems

Year 3-5 Investigator Grants (RFP-II)Role: Principal Investigator, Project Data Point of Contact

Publications & Presentations:

Journal Articles - 3

2020

Klerks, P. L., Kascak, A., Cazan, A. M., Franco, M. E., & Louka, F. R. (2020). A Mesocosm Assessment of the Effect of Bioturbation by the Ghost Shrimp (Lepidophthalmus louisianensis) on the Fate of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in the Intertidal Zone. Environ Toxicol Chem, 39(3), 637–647.

2018

Franco, M. E., Felgenhauer, B. E., & Klerks, P. L. (2018). Crude oil toxicity to fiddler crabs (Uca longisignalis and Uca panacea) from the northern Gulf of Mexico: Impacts on bioturbation, oxidative stress, and histology of the hepatopancreas. Environ Toxicol Chem, 37(2), 491–500.
Klerks, P. L., Kascak, A., Cazan, A. M., Deb Adhikary, N., Chistoserdov, A., Shaik, A., et al. (2018). Effects of the Razor Clam Tagelus plebeius on the Fate of Petroleum Hydrocarbons: A Mesocosm Experiment. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol, 75(2), 306–315.

Conference Presentations - 22

2016

Deb Adhikary, N., Klerks, P. L., & Chistoserdov, A. (2016). Ghost shrimp (Lepidophthalmus louisianensis) facilitates crude oil degradation. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference 2016. Tampa, FL , : 02/01/16-02/07/16: Poster.
Franco, M. E., & Klerks, P. L. (2016). An evaluation of mortality and burrowing behavior of fiddler crabs (Uca sp.) in response to exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2016. Tampa, FL : 02/01/16-02/04/16: Poster.
Franco, M. E., & Klerks, P. L. (2016). Effects on burrowing activity and oxidative stress in the Gulf Fiddler Crab (Uca longisignalis) exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons: A mesocosm study. In 7th Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) World Congress/SETAC North America 37th Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL : 11/06/16-11/10/16: Poster.
Kascak, A., & Klerks, P. L. (2016). Health of the mud shrimp Lepidophthalmus louisianensis in response to crude oil exposure. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2016. Tampa, FL : 02/01/16-02/04/16: Poster.
Klerks, P. L., Cazan, A. M., Kascak, A., Shaik, A., Deb Adhikary, N., Chistoserdov, A., et al. (2016). Effects of razor clams and ghost shrimp on the distribution and fate of hydrocarbons in nearshore environments. In 7th Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) World Congress/SETAC North America 37th Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL : 11/06/16-11/10/16: Poster.
Klerks, P. L., Cazan, A. M., Osman, S. Y., Hoag, M. E., Fazal-Ur-Rehman, F., Kascak, A., et al. (2016). Sediment bioturbation affects the fate of pyrene in laboratory mesocosms. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2016. Tampa, FL : 02/01/16-02/04/16: Poster.
Louka, F. R., Osman, S., Cazan A.M., Morandi, P., Hoag, M., & Klerks, P. L. (2016). Investigating pyrene levels in water and sediment samples in presence of bioturbators. In 251th American Chemical Society National Meeting. San Diego, CA : 03/13/16-03/17/16: Poster.

2015

Deb Adhikary, N., Klerks, P. L., & Chistoserdov, A. (2015). The interaction between benthic bioturbators and microbes on the fate of hydrocarbons in sediment – II. Microbial composition and PAH degradation. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2015. Houston, TX : 02/16/15-02/19/15.
Deb Adhikary, N., Klerks, P. L., & Chistoserdov, A. (2015). Effect of bioturbation on microbial degradation of oil components in coastal sediments. In 115th American Society for Microbiology General Meeting. New Orleans, LA : 05/30/15-06/02/15: Poster.
Deb Adhikary, N., Klerks, P. L., & Chistoserdov, A. (2015). Bioturbation facilitates degradation of oil components in coastal sediment through activation of the microbial community. In SETAC North America 36th Annual Meeting. Salt Lake City, UT : 11/01/15-11/05/15: Poster.
Kascak, A., & Klerks, P. L. (2015). Determining the effect of oil exposure on bioturbation in ghost shrimp. In 2015 Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Annual Meeting (South-Central Regional Chapter). Lafayette, LA : 05/28/15-05/30/15: Poster.
Kascak, A., & Klerks, P. L. (2015). Bioturbation and behavior of Lepidophthalmus louisianensis in response to the presence of crude oil. In SETAC North America 36th Annual Meeting. Salt Lake City, UT : 11/01/15-11/05/15: Poster.
Kascak, A., Klerks, P. L., Louka, F. R., Satbhai, K., Cazan, A. M., Graziano, A. P., et al. (2015). The interaction between benthic bioturbators and microbes on the fate of hydrocarbons in sediment – Sediment characteristics and PAH levels. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2015. Houston, TX : 02/16/15-02/19/15.
Klerks, P. L., Cazan, A. M., Kascak, A., Osman, S. Y., Hoag, M., Morandi, P., et al. (2015). The interplay between biota and pollutants: ghost shrimp affect environmental conditions and aromatic hydrocarbon distribution in laboratory mesocosms. In SETAC North America 36th Annual Meeting. Salt Lake City, UT : 11/01/15-11/05/15: Poster.
Louka, F. R., Osman, S. Y., Morandi, P., & Klerks, P. L. (2015). Comparing the effect of ecofriendly adsorbents and bioturbators on the concentration of pyrene. In 2nd International Conference on Past and Present Research Systems of Green Chemistry. Orlando, FL : 09/14/15-09/16/15.
Morandi, P., Osman, S. Y., Klerks, P. L., & Louka, F. (2015). Investigating the effect of bioturbators vs. ecofriendly adsorbents, on pyrene concentrations. In 2015 Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Annual Meeting (South-Central Regional Chapter). Lafayette, LA : 05/28/15-05/30/15: Poster.

2014

Deb Adhikary, N. R., Klerks, P., & Chistoserdov, A. (2014). Effects of bioturbation on microbial degradation of oil components in coastal sediments. In South Central Branch of the American Society for Microbiology – 22nd Annual Meeting. Fayetteville, AR : 9/11/14 - 9/13/14.
Kascak, A., Klerks, P., Chistoserdov, A., Louka, F., & Deb Adhikary, N. (2014). The effect of bioturbation by the ghost shrimp Lepidophthalmus louisianensis on hydrocarbon degradation and distribution. In Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North America 35th Annual Meeting. Vancouver, BC : 11/09/2014-11/13/2014.
Klerks, P. L., Louka, F., Adnikary N., Kascak, A., Felder, D., Oguma A., et al. (2014). The interaction between sediment bioturbators and sediment microbes on the distribution and degradation of oil in sediment. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2014. Mobile, AL: 01/26/14-01/30/14.
Louka, F. R., Chistoserdov, A., Deb Adhikary, N. R., Kascak, A., Satbhai, K. M., Louviere, C., et al. (2014). Effect of bioturbators on the degradation and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediment. In American Chemical Society National Meeting – 248th. San Francisco, CA : 8/10/14 - 8/14/14: Poster.

2013

Klerks, P. L., Felder, D. L., Chistoserdov, A., & Louka, F. (2013). The effect of sediment bioturbators on the biological degradation of petroleum in coastal ecosystems. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2013. New Orleans, LA: 01/21/2013-01/23/2013: Poster.
Klerks, P. L., Oguma, A., Blankson, B., Curtis, C., Goodwin, M., Louka, F., et al. (2013). The effect of sediment bioturbators on the hydrocarbon distribution in hydrocarbon-dosed mesocosms. In Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, North America 34th Annual Meeting. Nashville, TN 11/17-21/2013.