Vol. 53 - Alaska Resources Library and Information Services

to 70 m, potential effects from disturbance and platform discharges need
consideration whereas direct effects from oil spills seem unlikely.
Chronic indirect effects persisting beyond an oil spill could derive
from loss or reduction in the macro or meiofaunal food of the smallest
juvenile king crab. An oil spill in the shallow nearshore zone can
reasonably be expected to reduce the density of food important to juvenile
crabs, but prediction of the extent of such restriction in the crab's food
supply requires prediction of the salient features of such a spill. Based
on findings with other crustaceans a restriction in food supply can be
reasonably expected to retard growth in juvenile king crab if alternative
food is not available or taken.
The magnitude of exploration, development and production in the
relatively small area off Port Moller in which the larger juvenile king
crab concentrate needs to be predicted before one can assess whether
disturbance and production discharges constitute a significant potential
impact for the larger juveniles. Whereas the major food items of the
juvenile king crab, polychaete worms, have been shown to accumulate little
hydrocarbon burdens from contaminated food or sediment, bivalves, a lesser
but still significant food of the crabs, do accumulate hydrocarbons.
Whereas crabs in general appear readily capable of metabolizing
hydrocarbons, the present lack of specific information on accumulation and
metabolism of hydrocarbons by king crab precludes definitive assessment of
hydrocarbon accumulation in king crab.
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