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How did oil exposure affect the larvae of commercially important fish such as tuna?
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Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Fireboat response crews attempt to extinguish the blaze aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, April 21, 2010.
Research indicates that the larvae of commercially important fish species, such as tuna, were significantly harmed by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Specifically, a 2014 study determined that these larvae likely developed heart defects after being exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) released from the oil.1